a medical librarian's adventures in evidence-based living

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"Interestingly, a project has been going on for the past 6 years that systematically collects and shares the life wisdom of older people. The Cornell Legacy Project has collected and shared the lessons of over 1200 elders. There's a web site with archived lessons, and a book just published called "30 Lessons for Living." We can't have too many people working on this important issue! Here's the Legacy Project site: http://legacyproject.human.cornell.edu (The Healthy Librarian's advice to you): visit this site for a treasure trove of wisdom)

That was two weeks ago.

Late on Saturday afternoon, I literally ran into my public library before it closed to pick up some Mo Willems picture books to read over the internet to my grandson.

Before leaving the library, I took a quick look at the New Non-Fiction shelf. And there it was.30 Lessons for Living. Tried and True Advice from the Wisest Americans, by Karl Pillemer.

"Was this the same book I received a comment about two week ago? " I wondered. I wasn't quite sure. I get a lot of email.

I grabbed it off the shelf--and I still can't put it down.

This book is a gem. A road map for living. A guidebook written by seasoned travelers.

I showed it to one of my wisest friends--the one I'd go to for advice. She couldn't put it down either--and she immediately ordered a copy from the library.

When David Brooks of the New York Times recently asked the over-70 set to send him their own "Life Reports" , many of them told him:

It's too bad we have to make our most important decisions in our 20's, at the age when we're least qualified to do so. (Healthy Librarian's comment: No way around this one. In our 20's we often choose our career paths and our mates--decide where we'll live & whether or not to have children. Crazy! If only we knew then, what we know now--hindsight is 20-20. It's the luck of the draw at age twenty--my advice is to seek counsel from people who are wise, happy, honest, self-aware, & successful--and I mean "successful" in the broadest sense of the word.)

What is the Cornell University Legacy Project?

The Legacy Project has systematically collected practical advice from over 1500 older Americans who have lived through extraordinary experiences and historical events. They offer tips on surviving and thriving despite the challenges we all encounter.

The project, which began in 2004, interviewed senior Americans across the U.S--folks of widely different educational, vocational, religious, economic, & religious backgrounds. But yet, looking back on their lives--many of them offer similar advice.

In seeking out elders to interview, Karl Pillemer asked individuals & organizations to recommend people over 65 who they considered to be particularly wise. His idea was to collect the wisdom of our elders before they were gone--and systematically harvest the advice they collectively share.

Think of it as the most useful & fascinating research project you'll read. A travel guide to a land called, "Life".

The project sought the wisdom of the Greatest Generation, those who have survived the most difficult of times--the Depression, job pressures, the Holocaust, challenging childhoods, World War II, prejudices of all kinds, illnesses, life's toughest challenges--and yet, went on to live rewarding & fulfilling lives.

Who is Karl Pillemer, Ph.D.?

The Legacy Project is the brain child of Karl Pillemer, who started it six years ago, when he turned fifty. And who could be more qualified to run this project? He's a professor of human development in the College of Human Ecology at Cornell University, and Professor of Gerontology in Medicine at the Weill Cornell Medical College. He's also a self-described, "self-help junkie"--who says that what he's learned from these interviews has changed his life.

Thirty Lessons for Living video Click here if you don't see the video on the screen)

I'll say it again.

This book is a gem--it feels just like having an intimate conversation with your closest friends or siblings--when you share your deepest concerns, worries, and secrets--and listen to their trusted advice.

Don't think for a moment that these refrigerator lists I've posted will teach you everything you can learn from these wise elders. Not by a long shot!

Borrow or buy the book and snuggle up in a comfy chair & just enjoy every morsel.

Side Note: I hardly slept last night, because this book made me think about my own journey, the choices I have made, and how my parents' lives have shaped many of those choices.

I was thirty years old with an infant, when at age 69, my wise & gentle dad had a massive global stroke--that he survived for 16 years. His illness impacted my entire family--especially my wise, kind, uncomplaining mom. Click here to learn more. My parents' lives taught me to:

Act now like you will need your body for a hundred years

Time is of the essence

Say yes to opportunities

Travel more

Stay connected

Happiness is a choice, not a condition

Think small

Say it now

Refrigerator Advice from the Wisest Americans

Lessons for a Happy Marriage - Great Together

(My wise friend's favorites--and my own, are in red)

1.Marry someone a lot like you. Similarity in core values & background is the key to a happy marriage. And forget about changing someone after marriage.

2. Friendship is as important as romantic love. Heart-thumping passion has to undergo a metamorphosis in lifelong relationships. Marry some for whom you feel deep friendship as well as love.

3. Don't keep score. Don't take the attitude that marriage must always be a fifty-fifty propostition; you can't get out exactly what you put in. The key to success is having both partners try to give more than they get out of the relationship. (Read the Generous Marriage in the NYT's December 8, 2011--and take the quick quiz to find out how generous you are. My husband & I both took the quiz--not surprised that the results were similar--although I think he's a lot more generous than I am.)

4. Talk to each other. Marriage to the strong, silent type can be deadly to a relationship. Long-term married partners are talkers (at least to one another, and about things that count.)

5. Don't just commit to your partner--commit to marriage itself. Make a commitment to the idea of marriage and take it seriously. There are enormous benefits to seeing the marriage as bigger than the immediate needs of each partner.

Lessons for a Successful & Fulfilling Career - Glad to Get Up in the Morning

1. Choose a career for the intrinsic rewards, not the financial ones. The biggest career mistake people make is selecting a profession based only on potential earnings. A sense of purpose and passion for one's work beats a bigger paycheck any day.

2. Don't give up on looking for a job that makes you happy. According to the experts, persistence is the key to finding a job you love. Don't give up easily.

3. Make the most of a bad job. If you find yourself in a less-than-ideal work situation, don't waste the experience; many experts learned invaluable lessons from a bad job.

4. Emotional intelligence trumps every other kind. Develop your interpersonal skills if you want to succeed in the workplace. Even people in the most technical professions have their careers torpedoed if they lack emotional intelligence.

5. Everyone needs autonomy. Career satisfaction is often dependent on how much autonomy your have on the job. Look for the freedom to make decisions and move in directions that interest you, without too much control from the top.

Lessons for a Lifetime of Parenting - Nobody's Perfect

1. It's all about time. Sacrifice if necessary to spend the maximum amount of time possible with your children. You and your children need to be together in the flow of daily household life and not just during planned "quality time". (Read the story of my own family's shorter work week and how we had more time for the kids)

2. It's normal to have favorites, but never show it. Accept that you may have favorites among your children, but do not ever let them know.

3. Don't hit your kids. Discipline your children in a loving, respecful way that excludes physical punishment (no matter how tempting it may be in the short term.)

4. Avoid a rift at all costs. Do everything necessary to avoid a permanent rift with a child--even if it requires compromise on a parent's part.

5. Take a lifelong view of relationships with children. Parenthood goes on long after kids leave home, so make decisions when they are young that will lead to positive relationships in the second half of life.

Lessons for Aging Fearlessly and Well - Find the Magic

1. Being old is much better than you think. Don't waste your time worrying about getting old. It can be a time of opportunity, adventure, and growth. See it as a quest, not an end.

2. Act now like you will need your body for a hundred years. Stop using "I don't care how long I live" as an excuse for bad health habits. Behaviors like smoking, poor eating habits, and inactivity are less likely to kill you than to sentence you to years or decades of chronic disease. Think walkers, wheelchairs, nursing homes, incontinence, dementia, oxygen, social isolation, and years of dependence.

3. Don't worry about dying--the experts don't. Don't spend a lot of time fretting about your own mortality. What the experts recommend is careful planning and organization for the end of life.

4. Stay connected. Take seriously the threat of social isolation in middle age and beyond, and make conscious efforts beginning in middle age to stay connected through new learning opportunities and relationships.

5. Plan ahead about where you will live (and your parents too). Don't let fears and prejudices deter you or your older relatives from considering a move to a senior living community. Such a move often opens up opportunities for better living, rather than limiting them.

Lessons for Living a Life without Regrets - I Can Look Everyone in the Eye

1. Always be honest. Avoid acts of dishonesty, both big and small. Most people suffer from serious regret later in life if they have been less than "fair and square".

2. Say yes to opportunies. When offered a new opportunity or challenge, you are much less likely to regret saying yes and more likely to regret turning it down. (from David Brooks' Life Reports II: Lean toward risk. "Many more seniors regret the risks they didn’t take than regret the ones they did.")

3. Travel more. Travel while you can, sacrificing other things if necessary to do so. Most people look back on their travel adventures (big and small) as highlights of their lives and regret not having traveled more.

4. Choose a mate with extreme care. The key is not to rush the decision, taking all the time needed to get to know the prospective partner and to determine your compatibility over the long term.

5. Say it now. People wind up saying the sad words "it might have been" by failing to express themselves before it's too late. Don't believe the "ghost whispererer"--the only time you can share your deepest feelings is while people are still alive.

Sharing a secret: Go easy on yourself regarding the mistakes and bad choices you have made. A person with no second thoughts about anything he or she has done is probably someone who hasn't taken many chances in life--which is something worth regretting. Forgive youself. Be gentle with yourself.

Lessons for Living Like an Expert - Choose Happiness

1. Time is of the essence. Live as though life is short--because it is. The point is not to be depressed by this knowledge but to act on it, making sure to do important things now.

2. Happiness is a choice, not a condition. Happiness isn't a condition that occurs when circumstances are perfect or nearly so. Sooner of later you need to make a deliberate choice to be happy in spite of challenges and difficulties.

3. Time spent worrying is time wasted. Stop worrying. Or at least cut down. It's a colossal waste of your precious lifetime.

4.Think small. When it comes to making the most of your life, think small. Attune yourself to simple daily pleasures and learn to savor them now.

5. Have faith. A faith life promotes well-being, and being part of a religious community offers unique support during life crises. But how and what you worship s up to you.

Please share your own hard-won wisdom of hindsight & life experience.

I'd love to hear what the 20-somethings & the 80-somethings think of these 30 Lessons for Living. And everyone in-between.

And a big thank you to Karl Pillemer for dreaming up this project & sharing it with all of us!

I'll be honest with you. The hardest part of sticking to a plant-based diet is eating out with friends, or getting together socially with friends & family. It's easy to "eat right" at home. But, when you venture into the "real world"--that's when the challenges really begin!

"The longer I stuck with the plant-based no-oil diet, the less awkward & easier it got for me, socially.

Once my family and friends realized that this was more than a fad for me--that I was really serious about it--they respected it. They stopped bugging me.

They stopped pushing nachos, burgers & fries, & cakes my way. They made sure there was going to be something I could eat when they invited me over." paraphrased from a conversation with Dr. Pam Popper

Pam's right. Now that I'm over 15 months into living in the "Plant-Based Lane", things have changed. A lot.

So--sticking with this whole theme of "what's in my toolbox of tricks" that keeps me moving on the "almost" straight-and-narrow plant-based path, I keep thinking about how this past week played out. How effortless "my so-called diet" has now become. Basically, it's a non-issue.

And it really is a group effort, because of all the support I get from you, from my husband, my co-workers, my family & friends, the research I read, and the Esselstyns.

Thursday, September 8, 2011

1. The plant-friendly party at work: My friend and co-worker, Marlene decided to treat the entire library staff to a deluxe catered Mexican lunch. She had recently been recognized for her outstanding work with a Caregivers Award that came with cash--and she generously shared her bounty with all of us.

Where am I going with this? Support from co-workers, silly. Marlene made sure that 1/2 of the lunch included vegan enchiladas, guacamole, salsas, vegetables & rice--nothing fried, no meat or cheese or dairy, no lard. She also included a gorgeous fruit salad for dessert--and a healthy chip alternative to the typical tortilla chips.

She did not have to do this--but she did! Sure there was a platter of fried foods with pork, steak, cheese, & chicken flautas, burritos, & tacos---and plenty of chocolate chip cookies--but, she made sure there was a healthy alternative. Update: everything was devoured--leaving almost zero left-overs. Learn more about the healthy librarians with whom I work, here.

2. A surprising phone call from my niece: M. left me a voice mail message. "I need to ask you something. Call me." OK--I had no idea what this might be. Turns out, she had recently watch CNN's "The Last Heart Attack"--and it made a huge impression on her. She was ready to change how she ate. But...now she had a new dilemma. Her baby's pediatrician strongly recommended she start her very healthy active--but slim six-month old on meat, now! She didn't want to--what did I think?

1. Inspiring emails: I continually receive inspiration from people all over the world who share with me their success stories of renewed health after starting a plant-based no-oil Esselstyn-style diet. Nothing beats reading about someone else's successes! Some had heart attacks. Some had multiple bypasses. Some had stents. Some just wanted to get off of the poly-pharmacy treadmill. Some did it for prevention. On Friday I received some special ones, that knocked my socks off--along with plenty of great tips for salad dressing recipes and where one can eat out "safely". Like this link to a Dr. McDougall listing of "safe" restaurant suggestions--you'll have to do a lot of scrolling.

2. Grilling indoors. I ran out of propane for my grill. Who knew that my grill pan would do an even better job? As my husband took off to usher at our synagogue, he asked if I could grill some quick MATCH "Chicken" burgers for dinner. Sure. No problem. I mixed them all up--took them out to grill--and darn it! The propane tank fizzled. And the spare hadn't yet been re-filled. Now what? Bingo! I heated up my Cuisinart Green Gourmet (no-Teflon) Grill pan & those burgers turned out absolutely delicious.

This recipe comes from an old favorite Perdue Ground Turkey Burger Recipe that I refused to throw out. My husband, son #2, friends Cheri, Neal, and their college-aged son are also fans of these burgers.

Mix it all together. Make six patties. If grilling outside, put these in a grill cage (to prevent sticking) because they're very very low fat--or grill them inside like I did, using a grill pan. Do not overcook--don't want to dry them out.

2. Oatcakes with San Marzano Tomato-Kale "Gravy". Received an email from Mike in Louisville (a guy who appreciates really good food) along with a fabulous-sounding recipe to try. Long family history of early heart disease, & his 48 year-old sister's heart attack motivated him to go Esselstyn plant-based. Lost 45 pounds in six months. I'm trying his recipe for dinner tonight. My friend Fran is going to give it to her amateur chef-husband to test-drive it in his kitchen, too. We'll let you know!

3. Eating out with friends. Asian Vegan. On Saturday night, 10 of us gathered at a local Asian restaurant that has a wonderful gigantic round table complete with a Lazy-Susan--perfect for sharing dinners. Plenty of vegan options, here--including the new addition of Gardein chicken. But, certainly no oil-free options. I should have asked--I didn't. Of the 10 in our group--6 ordered meatless. The times they are achangin'! But, four hours later--my stomach felt uncomfortable--and I'm not one to ever have stomach issues. It stayed with me all night. No big deal--but it was there--nonetheless. The dishes weren't oily--but I'm sure they weren't oil-free. Was that the reason for the stomach woes? Bottom Line: Dining out with friends is always fun--and I'm glad there are decent dining options. Next time I'll specify, "no-oil" please. I've done it before--I'll do it again.

4. The After-Dinner Birthday Dessert. Gourmet Sorbet works! After dinner we all went to the home of one of the couples in our group for a "surprise" 60th birthday dessert. Cake, Jeni's Dark Chocolate & Buckeye Ice Cream, Jeni's Poached Pear Riesling Sorbet, & fruit salad. I passed on the cake. I couldn't pass up on a small taste of Jeni's Dark Chocolate, and I thoroughly enjoyed the Poached Pear Riesling Sorbet.

Sunday, September 11, 2011

1. Post-Spin Class Girl-Talk Update with My Plant-Based Spin Buddy, Ms. C. I hadn't had a chance to catch up with Ms. C for awhile. I was in a rush--but, Ms. C had way too much to share. It was worth it!

She's been eating Esselstyn-style plant-based for over a year, now. It was high time for a new wardrobe. She promised herself she would wait a year before buying new clothes. "How'd you manage that? Your clothes had to be falling off!" I said. "Well, I did buy a few things. But, yesterday was a big shop." She said she had reached the point of no-return. Her old way of eating was now history for her and her husband. They feel way too good, know way too much, and their health has improved so much--that she knew there was no going back. Ms. C started this diet to support her husband's health--she was average weight--and thought she was in good health. But, her subsequent weight loss--and her new & improved annual physical convinced her--and her doctor, that she was on to something!

Following All the Rules. No exceptions! If you have heart disease, diabetes, or weight issues you cannot eat walnuts, avocados, Larabars, dried fruit, probably no more than 2 or 3 pieces of fruit a day, or add fruit into a Green Smoothie. Some of us can get away with this. Or maybe we're just kidding ourselves. Others cannot. They'll gain weight & won't see all the blood sugar & lipid improvements they're after. Ms. C, my husband, & I don't have heart disease--and seem to be able to get away with these "sometimes-but-not-daily" additions to our diet without weight gain or problems. Ms. C's husband knows he needs to be vigilant--and follow the rules! I'm just saying.....

Eighty-Something Enlightenment after CNN's "Last Heart Attack"--Ms. C's 80-something in-laws are the poster-children for why you want to eat plant-based--if you get my drift. To them there's nothing wrong with corned beef sandwiches, brisket, lox & cream cheese, & cheesecake. They didn't understand Ms. C's & her husband's new way of eating. Not at all. That is--until last Saturday. They confided to their grandson that they saw Dr. Gupta's show, "The Last Heart Attack". It was a light bulb moment! "Ah ha! Now we understand why your mom & dad are eating that way! We're glad. Good for them!" And good for all of us that Dr. Gupta so articulately explained the benefits of a plant-based no-added-oil diet.

Hmm. I wondered how it would turn out if I subbed Mori-Nu Low-Fat Silken Tofu for the almonds--and then subbed toasted sesame seeds for the sesame oil. I loved how my re-do of Wendy's re-do turned out.

It makes plenty, and I loved it on top of Wendy's chopped raw broccoli, cauliflower, red pepper & currant salad. I also mixed in some 100% soba (buckwheat noodles), along with some teriyaki baked tofu--for one delicious take-to-work lunch!

Combine all the ingredients in your blender, Vita-Mix or food processor and blend until smooth & creamy.

Nutrition Information--based on 1/4 cup serving (HGK's Redux is a big improvement over the 1/2 cup olive oil recipe, but it still clocks in at 80 calories per 1/4 cup serving, with 4.4 grams of fat--about 50% fat)

3. The Book Club's House-Warming Dinner--Plant-Based Options Galore. After the salad dressing experiment I needed to quickly get into gear to prepare my Grilled Italian Sausage, Onions, Peppers & Rice Dish to take to the house-warming dinner we were having at the new home of one of the members--scheduled at 6:30 pm.

I've long ago ditched the oil in this recipe--and substituted extra lemon juice---but this time I decided to cut that acid taste, & substitute Low Fat Mori-Nu Silken Tofu for the olive oil/or extra lemon juice.

I liked it. And so did everyone else--every speck of this dish was devoured--and I couldn't enjoy seconds. But, not to worry--there was plenty of other plant-friendly food to enjoy, brought by the others in the group.

An amazing oil-free gazpacho, a green salad--luckily I brought along some of my left-over Creamy Asian Dressing--and a delicious cold fruit soup. The only dishes I skipped were salmon, chocolate brownies, & M & M's. And there you go--this group went out of their way to leave out any extra oil or cheeses from dishes, where they could--like the soups, salsas, & salad. Click here, scroll down a bit & read about my previous unhealthy lavish book club spread. (and make note about the Alkalol mention in this post, too--amazing stuff!)

Monday, September 12, 2011

1. The Happy Herbivore, by Lindsay S. Nixon. Mary, the Librarian gives it a Big Thumbs Up!--says it's the only cookbook she's found that really has no-added fat. Last week I finally got my copy of The Happy Herbivore. I knew I wouldn't have a chance to do much with it, so I shared my copy with Mary--who took it home over the weekend. She loved Lindsay's Cheddar Cheesy Sauce--served it over mashed potatoes--and brought some in on Monday for all of us to taste. Not exactly cheddar cheese--but a delicious stand-in. Mary returned my copy--and ordered her own. Looking forward to cooking my way through this new cookbook.

2. Pizza in the Pantry--my back-up plan. Lab Rat was getting home late--and since I was the first one home--I did the dinner honors. Thank goodness I always have all the fixings for pizza in my freezer & pantry. Dinner on the table in 30 minutes. Wasn't Lab Rat happy to find already cooked pizza when he got home at 8:00ish? I've always got a stash of Sami's pizza crusts in the freezer, some Walnut Acres Low-Sodium No-Fat Pasta Sauce, mushrooms, sun-dried tomatoes, roasted red peppers, artichoke hearts, and kalamata olives in the pantry, just in case!. Get that easy breezy recipe here.

3. My Sister-in-law left me a long voice mail message: Diet's going great. Not as hard as I thought it would be. Only one minor transgression--no big deal. Do you need some context for her message? Click here

Tuesday, September 13

1. A Vegan Pot-Luck Luncheon. See how much has changed over the past 15 months? Who could have predicted that I would be invited to a pot-luck vegan lunch given by a friend of a friend. Wish I could have been there! Looking forward to hearing all about it.

2. My Sister Calls as I'm About to Leave Home. "Hey, guess what I just bought? Appetite for Reduction!" Turns out, the first recipe she tried out was the Arabian Nights Lentil & Rice Soup. click here for the recipe--and just scroll on down! She & my BIL LOVED it! She says her next foray will be the Buffalo Tempeh & Cool Slaw wrap. Thank you HGK Wendy for turning me on to this recipe. Just so happens to be my favorite. I've made it at least 5 times. Crazy that sis & I picked the same recipes to try out--we're like identical twins separated at birth!

3. Nashville Fran calls to tell me her husband made some amazing lentil burgers over the weekend. I want that recipe. Her husband knows how to cook!

coming up Wednesday, September 14, 2011

1. After work it's going to be Maj with my gal pals. We'll be lucky to get in three games with the way we like to talk & kibbitz. We're going to be playing at a local restaurant that won't mind us taking up space for 3 hours--as well as someplace where we can get a plant-based dinner. Who'd have ever predicted fifteen months ago, that this wonderful group of friends would now all be leaning in the plant-based direction? Meet the Mahj ladies.

coming up Saturday, September 17, 2011

1. Cooking up a special plant-based no-oil dinner to celebrate buddy Ken's milestone birthday! Turns out the guests want to come early & help with the cooking! Who could ask for anything more? Well, maybe a glass of wine or beer to go along with the cooking. Haven't planned the menu yet. Anyone have some good suggestions for a celebration dinner? Who's the birthday boy? Seeing if you can figure it out?

I'm Serious! Does Anyone Have a Plant-Based Amazing Dinner Party Menu to Suggest? I'm All Ears!

"When triglycerides go up over 100 we start making abnormal forms of cholesterol--the small dense LDLs that are atherogenic and penetrate much more rapidly into the arteries than normal large LDLs.

When triglycerides start going up--and the changes start around 80-100--nearly everyone with triglycerides over 100 is making significant amounts of small dense atherogenic LDL--above 150 almost all LDL particles are small dense and atherogenic."

-Dr. Patrick E. McBride, Professor of Medicine and Family Medicine, University of Wisconsin, and a member of the Expert III NCEP Panel setting cholesterol guidelines-

If you received this post via email, click here to get to the web version with all the links.

On Saturday morning, my sister-in-law and I FINALLY had a chance to catch up.

We talked for an hour staight--which is nothing for us--we'd barely scratched the surface of what we could cover--but we both had to call it quits to get on with the rest of of the stuff on our To-Do Lists.

She had some pretty good news to share--and I asked her if it was OK if I shared it with you. She said, "Sure! Go ahead." So here's what we talked about....

Turns out, she'd had her annual gyno exam. Her doc had taken her lipids, and she' had just found out that her total cholesterol was too high--and her triglycerides were off-the-charts high.

She:"How can that be? I really do eat healthy. I exercise. My doc wants me to make an appointment with a cardiologist ASAP, but I don't want to go on statins, or take anything for the triglycerides. Most of my other numbers are OK--the LDLs & HDLs--but the triglycerides are sky-high. I'd really like to go 100% on the Esselstyn diet first & see if I can get those numbers down."

Me: "Well, don't get mad at me for saying this--but I've been there myself--thinking I'm eating a healthy diet, when I'm really eating "a healthy diet at home"...in addition to a load of crap out-of-the-house!

I know you make healthy meals at home--but it's probably all the rest of the stuff you're eating. The restaurants, the traveling, the cookies, cakes, & pastries your friends make, the lack of exercise when you're traveling, the wine & rum, the sugar, the dinners at friends', the crusty French bread, yada yada yada. It all adds up--and bottom line--if you're taking in more calories than your body needs--you can end up with high triglycerides!

Look, I never would have tried the Esselstyn diet 100% if he hadn't challenged me to do it. You won't know if it works until you do it 100%. Once I did it 100% & saw the results--I was convinced.

High triglycerides, are bad news. Definitely see the cardiologist. But, sure-- try the diet first to see if it can make a difference for you.

She: I've already downloaded Esselstyn's book on my Kindle. Can you send me any other info you might have that will help? I've got just 2 1/2 weeks to try this out, before I go out-of-town with my friends. I know I won't be able to do it 100% on vacation--just not possible--so I'm going to see if I can get a cholesterol test before I leave on vacation to at least see if I'm on the right track. Before I see the cardiologist.

Oh, I've been reading up on triglycerides--but send me anything you might have on the blog that would help.

Here's what I emailed her:

Here's one of the posts I've written about on triglycerides--but this one sums it all up. NOTE: In April the ranges for normal all moved downward. Now, the recommendation for the normal range is at 100 or below (no longer below 150). But as you'll read, it's best to be at 80 or below. You want to make sure you're making light fluffy LDLs, not the small dense kind. You might request the NMR particle test. And here's the link to the new American Heart Association Scientific Statement recommending that triglycerides ought to be at 100 or below--not 150.

You want me to ask Dr. Esselstyn what he suggests you do?

Good luck!

Love you!

My note to all of you:Please read that post I sent my sister-in-law about triglycerides. It will tell you everything you ever wanted to know about these bad-boys. They're an independent risk factor for strokes & cardiovascular disease. If you've got a lot of belly fat--you probably have high triglycerides. If you're eating more calories than your body can burn off--you probably have high triglycerides. To read even more (yeah right!) about the triglyceride stroke/heart connection, click here and here and here.

How Strange is This? The day after I sent the email to my sister-in-law, Dr. Esselstyn just happened to call me at work with a library question. Of course, I asked him for some words of wisdom for my sister-in-law & for high-triglycerides in particular. Darn, I no longer have my notes--but here's what I remembered he said:

Cut out the sugar--all kinds! (my note: be sure to read this and this)

Cut out alcohol

Cut out the white foods--refined flours, pastas, breads, rice, crackers, etc. If high triglycerides are a problem for you--stick to just eating whole grains--and skip foods made with whole grain flours, like breads & pastas. Even whole grain flours can raise triglycerides in folks who are overweight and insulin-resistant. Think about it--flours of any kind are "processed" & digest too quickly. Instead eat quinoa, wheatberries, hulled barley, steel-cut oats. Flourless sprouted breads, like the Ezekiel brand, are a better choice if you need a bread.

Remember! Green leafy vegetables are the Main Event when it comes to making blood vessels "heart attack proof". Load up on vegetables over grains!

No fruit juices--and be careful not eat too many fruits, either, if you have high triglycerides. Stick to the ones with the lowest sugar content. (my note: the fruits lowest in fructose include strawberries, berries, cantelopes, grapefruit, peaches) Source: AHA statement quoted on CardioBrief

Avoid smoothies made with fruit! It can cause a rapid rise in blood sugar for some people. I see it happen a lot!

Oh heck--I really really don't want you to miss the Triglyceride Post I emailed to my sister-in-law--so, just in case you don't click that link--I at least want to make sure you get some of the key points:

In A Nutshell--Here's What Dr. Patrick E. McBride is SayingAbout Triglycerides

If your triglycerides are under 80 you are making "normal large" LDLs that are not very atherogenic (think atherosclerosis; arterial plaque; hardening of the arteries)

When triglycerides are over 150 (there are just too many particles floating around with no where to go) they briefly get inserted into the LDLs and change the LDLs into "small dense atherogenic" particles.

Stealth LDL: That's what you call what was once a normal LDL particle that's been penetrated by free-floating triglycerides. When triglycerides are too high they are able to change the LDL into "small dense dangerous" LDL that oxidizes very easily (a bad thing) and penetrates rapidly into the arteries. Note: Triglycerides are not supposed to penetrate the LDLs!!

Normal LDL: It's difficult for normal LDL (large & fluffy) to penetrate into the wall of an artery!

When triglycerides are between 80-100 you start to make abnormal LDL. Some of it starts changing into the "small dense atherogenic" variety at this level. (If changes start happening over 80--it looks to me like the only safe triglyceride number is under 80!)

When triglycerides are over 100--according to Dr. McBride--you've turned the corner & "are making at the very least, a significant amount of "small dense" LDL."

When triglycerides are above 150, almost all of the LDL particles become "small dense atherogenic".

Dr. McBride served on the III NCEP Expert Panel on Detection, Evaluation, and Treatment of High Blood Cholesterol in Adults that set the guidelines for triglycerides (and cholesterol) back in 2002. He advocated for the normal level to be under 100--and he strongly believes that the current level will go down to 100 when the next guidelines come out. Note: in April 2011 the AHA issued a Scientific Statement recommending the new normal be under 100. Find that here.

According to Dr. McBride, if you have abdominal obesity, the chances are greater that you are producing the abnormal dangerous "small dense" form of LDL.

If you overconsume sugar, soda pop, saturated fats, trans fats, refined carbohydrates, and "fried apple pies"--and you are consuming more calories than you need--your body doesn't know what to do with all that junk--and you end up with lots of rich triglycerides--that are very inflammatory and very atherogenic--floating around--just looking for an LDL to penetrate and turn it into "small dense dangerous" LDL!

Sister-in-Law Success!

Before my sister-in-law went on her week vacation with her gal pals, she wisely had her blood drawn for a cholesterol test. She'd been on the Esselstyn diet for just 2 1/2 weeks--eating no-fat, no meat, no cheese, no-oil, no refined grains.

She knew it wouldn't be as good as if she'd been on the diet for 4 weeks--but at least she's get some idea if it could improve her lipids.

Test results: Her total cholesterol dropped 100 points! Amazing! Full disclosure: for some unknown reason, the lab only measured her total cholesterol--not what she really needed--a full lipid panel. But she figures the triglycerides & LDLs must be going down if her cholesteol levels came down so much in just 2 1/2 weeks. She'll be following up with a full lipid panel.

Other good news: In spite of her one week of transgressions on vacation--she's back to the Esselstyn diet--and she's losing weight. Best of all, she's losing belly fat! She's committed to stick with it. She'd rather lower her triglycerides with diet instead of drugs. Besides, only diet can help reduce weight.

What My Sister-in-Law is Up Against. She Lives in the Southern "Stroke Belt", Her Friends Think Health is All About Genes, Not Diet & Everyone Likes to Eat Out

She's swimming against the stream in her neck of the woods. She's the odd girl out in her social circle.

Lately, everyone's complaining about being so forgetful. They thinks it just normal aging.

Uh?? Think again, folks!

Check out this "hot off the press" article published online in Stroke, Sept. 1, 2011 Buchman, AS etal "Cerebrovascular Disease Pathology and Parkinsonian Signs in Old Age". It's summarized in the NPR Blog, Shots:

"Old people who don't have signs of cardiovascular disease still may have suffered microscopic strokes that don't show up on conventional tests. The small strokes may impair their ability to walk, balance and function just the same.

Scientists examined the brains of 418 priests and nuns after they died. The researchers found that one-third of the brains that had seemed normal using conventional tests while the people were alive actually had damage to tiny blood vessels. The damage was so slight it was impossible to see without a microscope.

The people whose brains had these tiny signs of hardened arteries and stroke were most likely to have had shuffling gait and other movement problems while they were still alive."

If you've been eating the standard American diet--and you're eating out a lot, there's a good bet that what we take to be the "normal forgetfulness of aging"--isn't exactly normal. It could be teeny weeny imperceptible strokes. Now that's one scary thought!

"Dr. Megan C. Leary of UCLA examined over 5,500 MRIs of the brains of 50 year olds & found many had tiny white spots that indicated that they had unknowingly experienced tiny, imperceptible strokes. These "brain attacks" have the same history and cause as heart attacks. See "Annual Incidence of First Silent Stroke in the U.S" Cerebrovasc Dis 2003;16(3):280-5.

According to Leary, "'Silent strokes' are epidemic in this country. While they occur in parts of the brain where they don't cause symptoms right away, the word 'silent' should be put in quotes, because their effects accumulate over the years.''

While a single silent stroke may have no impact, repeated ones lead to memory lapses, mood problems and difficulty walking. They are also a sign that people are especially prone to full-blown strokes.

Keep on eating the same way at age 60, 70, & 80 and there's a good chance that those tiny strokes will add up to increasing memory lapses, and progress on to dementia--depending upon what part of the brain has been affected.

What's good for the blood vessels of the heart, is good for the blood vessels of the brain."

As for all that rich Southern cooking--forget about it! It's killing brain cells and giving the South a new claim to fame: It's known as The Stroke Belt.

The "brain-damaging suspects" are likely to be the much-loved traditional Southern diet of fried, salty, & fatty foods along with too little exercise--all of which contribute to hypertension, excess weight, & diabetes--the biggies responsible for stroke risk.

I posted about the brand new REGARDS Study, the Stroke Belt & how the Southern diet is affecting cognitive impairment on July 26, 2011. No need to repeat what I wrote, just click here to refresh your memories.

Two of my favorite quotes about the REGARDS study:

"This is a very strong alarm signal. [The finding suggests that] if you want to keep your marbles, you need to control your blood pressure, excessive weight and other risk factors for stroke."

Dr. Gustavo C. Roman, the head of the neuroepidemiology section of the American Academy of Neurology, commenting on the article.

[Problems like high blood pressure and diabetes are likely to be "affecting blood flow to the brain, even if it's not causing a visible stroke. An undersupply of blood can also cause problems with brain cells that lead to cognitive decline."

Dr. Kenneth Langa, a professor of Internal Medicine at the University of Michigan, commenting on the article.

My sister-in-law's friends like to eat out. Who doesn't? It's nice to have someone else do the cooking.

But, once you really know what's in all that restaurant food--most of us will run back to our own kitchens.

Unfortunately, twice a week my sister-in-law has a pretty much mandatory "luncheon meeting" at a restaurant with her business partner. Sort of non-negotiable.

Last week, on my weekly public library run I picked up one of those "Cook This Not That" books. OMG! I started reading it before I went to sleep--and I couldn't stop interrupting my husband's own reading with, "Listen to this!" "OMG! Listen to this one--it's even worse."

The book shocked me! No wonder most Americans are overweight.

We haven't a clue what's in that restaurant food--so a big "Thank You" goes out to David Zinczenko & Matt Goulding for collecting all this incriminating nutritional info. I suspected it--but I really didn't know it was that bad.

And to think how much I used to love Molten Chocolate Lava Cake. Never again!

No conversation with my sister-in-law is complete without sharing recipes--the new finds-that-we've tried out--and loved!

Funny, how she is always trying recipes that I never even noticed--even though we both share a lot of the same cookbooks. I'm definitely going to reap the benefits of her expert cooking now that she's going Esselstyn.

She: "Have you tried Isa's Tortilla Soup in Appetite for Reduction? We all loved it. But I cut the jalapenos down to just one."

Me: "Nope. I never even noticed it in the cookbook. But I'll check it out as soon as I hang up!"

And I did, later that day. A big winner. Here's my enlightened version.

It looks like a stew or a chili--but it's a soup. Hearty, spicy, and a big one-bowl meal.

1. Preheat a 4 quart soup pot over medium high heat. Dry saute the onions, jalapeno, & poblano peppers until the onions are translucent, about 5 minutes. Add a little vegetable broth if the onions start to stick or dry out--to deglaze the pan.

2. Add the crushed tomatoes, the 3 cups of vegetable broth, and the cumin to the pot. Mix well.

3. Crush the crisped tortillas into crumbs (some bigger pieces are OK) & add about 1/2 of them to the pot--reserving the rest for garnish. (I ended up adding all of them to the pot, because I didn't read the directions carefully & it thickened the soup, nicely) You want the crumbs to "melt" into the soup.

4. Cover, & bring to a boil. Lower the heat to a simmer, add the beans, corn, & cilantro.

Here's the reason for the Thursday purge. Next week we're getting brand-new carpeting in the library. All the furniture and cubicle dividers will be dismantled--and moved out--to make way for new carpeting. But, before any of this can happen, all of us had to pack up every single thing in our offices (correction: cubicles). And there's no way I was going to pack up all that useless stuff.

We brought in a giant paper recycling dumpster, and I purged, baby! It felt fantastic to unload that useless clutter. And it was so much fun.

My Friday Paper Purge

Friday was my day off. I had a long list of things on my To-Do List--and none of them were remotely close to organizing recipes, or purging home files. Are you kidding me? After Thursday's office purge, I had had enough of that for awhile.

But, that's exactly what my Friday turned into.

When I returned home from exercising & errands on Friday morning, I found my husband in the middle of a Clean, Purge, & Organize Mission!Be careful what you wish for, is all I have to say.

My Husband: "That pile of stuff on the kitchen island--that's all of your papers, recipes, and things. I've already thrown out all the obvious garbage stuff that was on the shelves. So please go through your stuff--decide what you want to keep--or throw it out. I can't do anymore here until you go through that stuff."

Me: "Oh gee, thanks!" (I'm thinking--now, why exactly should my pile of stuff stop you from continuing on with your cleaning & organizing mission? But, by now he was on to another project--changing the oil in my car.)

I kept my mouth shut. Trust me--there was no way I wanted to go through those piles--right then--at that moment--but I can't stand clutter on my kitchen island. It had to be dealt with right away. This was stuff I've looked through before--stuff I hadn't been quite ready to part with in the past. Ugh.

But, I definitely didn't want to be the roadblock to my husband's cleaning & organizing mission.

Two giant notebooks & a file box filled with non-medical newspaper clippings, inspirational stuff, articles worth saving, how-to information (like how to hang a picture), business cards, records of past home-improvement projects, what's planted in our garden, some medical records, travel ideas, book & movie recommendations, and more. At one point in my life these were all things that were "save worthy".

Three hours later I had purged a giant garbage bag with papers from my past--all ready for the recycling dumpster!

And, yes, I saved what was worth saving.

The Recipe Purge

I already knew I was committed to this plant-based no-oil lifestyle without needing to purge any recipes from my past. My pantry has long ago been purged of junk. I've been eating plant-based for 3 1/2 years now. No-added-oil for 13 months. It feels like how I've always eaten. It's normal. It's routine.

But, ditching my recipes & cookbooks feels like drawing a line in the sand. Like throwing out clothes that no longer fit. Or making your kitchen officially Kosher. It's saying, "This is me, now. I'm not the same person that I used to be. This isn't a fad. It's no longer just an experiment. Sure, I'm open to tweaking--but oil, dairy, meat... I don't think so!

So, now it's a done deal. All those holiday recipes I had collected for briskets, kugels, blintz souffle--the desserts made with lots of butter, nuts, shortening, eggs & oil....GONE! (Don't worry---if anyone should ever need them--they're all findable on the internet)

All those saved newspaper/magazine/internet/photocopied/hand-written recipes for cookies, cakes, chicken, beef, and casseroles...GONE!

All the cookbooks I no longer use--The Barefood Contessa's, Rachel Ray's, The Silver Palate--banished to the basement bookshelf. Donate to the library? To friends?

Surprisingly, there were plenty of recipes worth saving. Some I had long forgotten about, that can be easily tweaked to go oil-free or dairy-free. It was nice to be reminded of them.

My Special Flowered Recipe Notebook--39 Years of Cooking History

Yes, I'm a sentimental softy, at heart.

There's a whole history of recipes from the special people in my life that lives in my Pink Flowered Recipe Notebook. They're yellowed with age. They're grease-splattered. Some are hard to read.

Plenty are written in the handwriting of those special people. They're "forever keepers".

Of course, I saved all of those.

My Sister's Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies

My Mother-in-Law's Sour Cream Coffee Cake

She was making this in her kitchen on the day we first met--1970.

My Sister-in-Law's Spaghetti (she passed away 30 years ago)

Uncovering Buried Treasures

I was listening to Senator Sherrod Brown on the radio as I was busily sorting through the piles on my kitchen island.

Brown happened to mention his wife, Connie Schultz, had just celebrated a birthday. Connie's a Pulitzer Prize winning journalist, who's a favorite of mine. She's smart, funny, & has chutzpah. She's not afraid to tell-it-as-she-sees-it! Click here for a Connie Schultz, I-can't-believe-this-is-really-true story post.

How strange that I had just uncovered a copy of a yellowed Plain Dealer magazine page with a poem she had written almost 10 years ago.

Update: I just re-read my Connie Schultz post--hadn't read it since I wrote it in 2008. Gotta say--the story about Jane left tears in my eyes & gave me chills. You see, Jane's grandmother just happens to be my mom! And, here's another coincidental twist to all of this--I also remembered that I had tucked a copy of Connie's poem into Jane's college graduation card. The rest of the story....she's graduated with a Dr. of Physical Therapy in 2010 and she's doing just fine!

Create Your Own Rainbow

We think we have all the time in the world.

Some day we'll go home early. We'll write that song,

Speak our mind, say we're sorry and make it right.

Some day we'll pluck our biggest dream out of the sky

And declare this one here is mine.

Some day.

The future is no place to leave our hopes,

And waiting for the right time to make our mark can blind us to

the perfect moment right in front of us.

Quietly beckoning us to seize its promise.

And begin.

-Connie Schultz-

Connie's poem wasn't the only piece of buried treasure that I rediscovered on the Kitchen Island yesterday--and decided to save. There were other gold nuggets that I saved, put away, only to rediscover again, the next time I go on a paper purge.

I Guess I'm Not the Only One

At dinner last night I told my friend Joyce about my recipe purge.

Turns out--she did the exact same thing 2 weeks ago. Dumping all the recipes & cookbooks that no longer fit with the way she now cooks.

Help! Does anyone have some practical advice on how best to save papers & scraps of useful "orphaned" info--so it can be easily retrieved--not buried alive? Please Share!

Any tips for creating useful retrievable files--that don't turn into "another way station before going into the trash"?

July 15, 2011

"Every since I got my first library card & could walk to the library myself I've been hooked on the medical/health/self-improvement book shelves."

-From the Healthy Librarian's Blog Profile-

If you received this post via email, click here to get to the web version.

Tip: Skip over my ramblings--and go right to the essays! The real "heart" of the post!

When I was a kid, summer lasted forever. Endless lazy sunny days stretched out one after the other with plenty of time for playing on the street, porch sitting with my friends, going on bike hikes, swimming at the local pool---and best of all---walking to the library all by myself & bringing home a stack of books to explore. I'd stretch out & get cozy on the front porch glider & just enjoy a lazy summer afternoon with my "freshly picked" stack of library books.

This Tuesday just happened to feel exactly like one of those perfect sunny summer days from the late 1950's.

I even made a library stop on my way home to pick-up this Saturday's book club selection, Kurt Vonnegut's collection of short stories, Welcome to the Monkey House. Our assignment? To read two short stories: Harrison Bergeron & the book's namesake, Welcome to the Monkey House. I read the book in college, but I have zero memory about those 2 stories.

And of course, I couldn't resist taking a look at the library's shelf of New Non-Fiction. It's my ritual every time I go into my local library. Here's what I plucked off the shelves: my freshly picked stash.

There was something eerily familiar about this past Tuesday that took me straight back to my 9 year old summer-self with those lazy summer days & my pile of books on the porch.

Maira Kalman's, The Principles of Uncertainty. Well-known illustrator extraordinaire--with an eye for history, philosophy, and what's important in life. If you haven't a clue as to who she is--check this out. You'll be glad you did!

I dove straight into Couric's, The Best Advice I Ever Got, as soon as I had the chance! This is right up my alley. I can't resist short essays--from people I respect--that share their best advice, life lessons and thoughtful insights. I want their short bottom-line pearls! I crave reminders to reach higher, be better, & enjoy life, in spite of all the curve balls.

And that's exactly what you'll find in Couric's book.

Here's how Katie's book was born:

"Last year, when I was giving a commencement address at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, I decided to try something new.

What else could I tell these young, bright students who were about to take flight into the world, eager to make their mark? Because I've had the privilege of meeting and interviewing so many remarkable people through the years, I decided to ask a few of them to share their personal insights. What have you learned? What lessons from your own lives might be useful and instructive?"

Then Couric cast her net even wider. To people she admired--but didn't know.

Their advice isn't just for those who are starting out; it's for those who are starting over, just taking stock--a reminder of what is important and how we can better live our lives everyday. It's for everyone!

This book is filled with the best advice that leaders & visionaries in "politics, entertainment, sports, philanthropy, the arts, & business" have to offer. Sure, some of these "stars" wouldn't be my choice of who I'd go to for advice--but it's Couric's book--not mine.

After a quick look-through the book, three essays immediately grabbed my attention--and I thought, "These need to be shared--not just sit in a book waiting to be read by only a few." You can be the judge as to how valuable (or not) this advice is to you.

Definitely check out all of the essays in Couric's book--get yourself a copy from your library--or local book store.

This post goes out to son #2 who shares my quirky love of "Best Advice" essays from "experts"--and who's also a huge fan of "Tuesdays with Morrie", Albom's first book.

"Morrie was dying. We came to sit by his side. Family. Friends. Former students.

Not everyone was so comfortable. Death can make you squeamish. Many visitors, I noticed came with a plan. They were going to tell happy stories, share jokes, show photos. They'd go into Morrie's office, where he lay motionless in a long chair. The door would shut. And an hour later they'd emerge in tears.

But they were crying about...their job, their divorce, their issues.

"I went in to cheer him up," they'd say, sniffing, "but he started asking me about my life and my problems and next thing I know, I was bawling."

I watched this happen so many times that finally I went in to Morrie and said,

"I don't get it. You're the one dying from ALS, this awful, debilitating disease. If ever anyone has finally earned the right to say, 'Let's not talk about your problems, let's talk about my problems,' it's you!"

He looked at me sadly.

"Mitch," he whispered, "why would I ever take like that? Taking just reminds me that I'm dying." He smiled. "Giving makes me feel like I'm living."

Giving makes me feel like I'm living.

It is a profound little sentence.

And some of the best advice I've ever received.

Our culture, of course, tells us the opposite. The more you take, the more alive you are. The more money in your bank account, cars in your garage, or shoes in your closet, the more you are winning the game.

But think about your final moments in this world, like the ones Morrie endured. At that most crucial time, when you are clinging to life, all that you own will be of no use to you. What purpose will a sports care serve at that point? Jewelry? A big-screen TV? Chances are that stuff won't even be in the room.

All that will matter at that precious point, is that the people who love your are by your side, right? Well, the people who love you will likely be the ones to whom you gave time. The ones to whom you gave warmth and affection. When you most want to feel alive, the things you gave will be the things that return.

Try it sometime--maybe the next time you're depressed or blue. Maybe the next time taking something or achieving status doesn't make you as happy as you thought it would.

Instead, go someplace where you're needed--talk to a struggling friend, cheer up someone in a hospital, scoop potatoes at a soup kitchen. You'll be surprised how energized you feel afterward, how your blues may quietly disappear when you see someone who has it worse.

And if, on your way out, you get the small tingle in your stomach when those people whisper, "Thank you"?

That's being alive.

And it comes from giving, not taking.

Morrie, once again, had it right."

Side note: The night before I read Albom's essay, I happened on a poignant & beautiful short essay by Celia Watson Seupel, "What She Has to Offer" in the New York Times. It had me in tears. It's a must-read if you've ever cared for an aging parent. And as crazy as it sounds, I saw a movie called, Harvest, the night before, as well. Serendipity!

"Be Grateful", by Michael J. Fox, Actor, Bestselling Author, Activist

"As much as we can, it's helpful to be in a place of gratitude.

None of us is entitled to anything. We get what we get not because we want it, or we deserve it, or because it's unfair if we don't get it--but because we earn it, we respect it, and only if we share it do we keep it."

Oh, I have enough of a memory of my own youth to know that that sounds preposterous. You are surely afraid: of leaving what you know, of seeking what you want, of taking the wrong path, of failing the right one. But you can't allow any of that to warp your life. You must have the strength to say no to the wrong things and to embrace the right ones, even if you are the only one who seems to know the difference, even if you find the difference hard to calculate.

Too often we still live with the pinched expectations of a culture of conformity, which sees daring as dangerous. Go along to get along: that's its mantra. Only principled refusal to be terrorized by these stingy standards will save you from a Frankenstein life made up of other people's expectations grafted together into a poor imitation of existence. You can't afford to do that. It is what has poisoned our culture, our community, and our national character.

No one does the right thing from fear, and so many of the wrong things are done in its long shadow. Homophobia, racism, religious bigotry: they are all bricks in a wall that divides us, bricks cast of the clay of fear, fear of that which is different or unknown.

Too often public discourse fears real engagement or discussion; it pitches itself at the lowest possible level, always preaching to the choir, so that no one will be challenged. Which usually means that no one will be interested. What is the point of free speech if we are always afraid to speak freely? If we fear competing viewpoints, if we fail to state the unpopular because of some sense of plain-vanilla civility, it is not civility at all. It is the denigration of the human capacity for thought. Open your mouth. Speak your piece. Fear not.

Remember Pinocchio? There is a Jiminy Cricket on your shoulder, giving the very best advice. It is you, your authentic self, the one you were in first grade, before you learned to massage your personality into a form that would suit others. Sometimes it's hard to hear its message because all the external voices are so loud, so shrill, so adamant. Voices that loud are always meant to bully.

Do not be bullied.

Acts of bravery don't always take place on battlefields. They can take place in your heart, when you have the courage to honor your character, your intellect, your inclinations, and yes, your soul by listening to its clear, clear voice of direction instead of following the muddied messages of a timid world.

So carry your courage in an easily accessible place, the way you do your cellphone or your wallet. You may still falter or fail, but you will always know that you pushed hard and aimed high.

And the HPLC diet doubles the nonesterified fatty acids (NEFAs) which promote inflammation & atherosclerosis. If you think high-protein-low-carb is good--think again!

And it's all about what's going on inside of the arteries--not just the lipid numbers! A low-fat high-unrefined-carbohydrate diet increases those endothelial progenitator cells--and keeps the artery walls healthy, flexible, and atherosclerosis-resistant. Read more in the PNAS "Vascular effects of a low-carbohydrate high-protein diet"

If you received this post via email, click here to get to the web version with all the links.

What a week this has been! I've had a chance to hear Dr. Dean Ornish (twice), Dr. David Katz of Yale, Dr. Ezekiel Emanuel of NIH, and Dr. Joshual Sharfstein. All national healthcare experts--all saying the same thing--in four different ways:

Change Your Lifestyle & Change Your Health.

Our Western diet is killing us and our children.

This younger generation will likely be the first generation to not live as long as their parents.

93% of diabetes, 81% of heart disease, and 60% of cancer could vanish with diet, exercise, weight loss, smoking cessation.

When the Cleveland Clinic, the top hospital for cardiac care in the U.S., invites Dr. Dean Ornish to speak about reversing heart disease, diabetes, hypertension, and prostate cancer with low-tech lifestyle changes--you know that the no-oil plant-based Esselstyn-style diet is getting closer to going mainstream!

And on May 11, Dr. Caldwell Esselstyn, Jr. is also scheduled to speak at the Cleveland Clinic Wellness Grand Rounds! That comes right after his April 27th (this Wednesday) appearance on Dr. Oz's Show along with Dr. T. Colin Campbell and Dr. Neal Barnard. Click here for more info.

Looks like plant-based & low-fat is starting to seem commonplace these days. Dr. Neal Barnard--another plant-based disease-reversal pioneer--is currently speaking around the country, promoting his latest science-based book, too. Definitely one that I recommend. Wendy, at Healthy Girl's Kitchen heard him speak on Tuesday night and she does a terrific job of summarizing his lecture. Part l and Part II. Thank you, Wendy!

And don't forget that Forks Over Knives premiers in theaters on May 6, 2011. Click here for the schedule, and here for my review.

Sorry for the "non-commercial" interruption--now back to the post: Since most of you didn't have the chance to attend Dr. Ornish's lecture--here's what you would have heard....

He's got the data and the high-tech measurements to back up his claims that a very low-fat vegetarian diet, along with exercise, stress reduction (meditation/yoga), & social support really work--and their effects are synergistic & additive.

The lecture hall was filled with health professionals & support staff.

Ornish Goes Mainstream with Medicare. Could this be a game-changer?

In August 2010, Medicare approved both the Ornish & Pritikin comprehensive lifestyle disease-reversal programs for reimbursement. As Ornish says, "If we can change reimbursement--we'll change the practice of medicine!" Reimbursement to prevent chronic diseases? Money well-spent.

So What Is the Ornish Approach?

Participants in Ornish's clinical trials always followed a very low-fat, vegetarian diet, closely bordering on vegan. That's what reversed their heart disease, type 2 diabetes, hypertension, and early prostate cancer. But he carefully side-stepped discussing the diet specifics in this lecture.

Maybe he was mum about the details of his diet because these days he doesn't want to scare people away by demanding that they follow a super strict low-fat vegetarian diet. And, he hates the word DIET!

Lately, he's offering more of a Spectrum of food choices--you choose how strict you want your diet to be--based on your health and your risk factors. To get the details, I had to go to his website. Click here

Here's the deal. When it comes to reversing heart disease--even Ornish says, you need to go mostly plant-based & very low fat. If you're healthy--and without risk factors or excess weight, you can be a little more indulgent.

But wait a second. I've read the research studies. I've heard Dr. Esselstyn speak. I've heard Dr. Steven Nissen speak--the head of Cardiovascular Medicine at the Cleveland Clinic. If you're eating a typical Western diet--you either have heart disease or you're on the way to getting it! Who's left?

Ornish Food Plan to Reverse Heart Disease

Fat--No more than 10% of calories are from fat. This is achieved by not adding any fats, oils, seeds, nuts, avocados, coconut and olives to a mostly plant-based diet. The 10% of calories from fat comes from fat that occurs naturally in grains, vegetables, fruit, beans, legumes and soy foods.

Cholesterol-- No more than 10 milligrams of cholesterol per day. To meet this goal, non-fat dairy products are limited to 2 servings per day. Non-fat dairy products are optional. Soy products can be used instead of dairy products because they are cholesterol free.

Primarily Plant-Based--no meat, poultry, fish, or products made from these foods. Non-fat dairy foods (no more than 2 servings/day) and egg whites are included.

Calories--Unrestricted unless weight loss is desired. Small frequent meals spread throughout the day help avoid hunger and keep energy levels constant. Portion control will assist in reaching and maintaining a healthy body weight and controlling blood sugar levels.

Sugar--Permitted in moderation. No more than 2 servings/day including non-fat sweets. A serving is equivalent to 1 tablespoon or 12 grams of sugar.

Ornish's Spectrum of Food Choices

Heart Disease Reversal Sticks to the Bottom 2 Levels

Ornish's Spectrum Diet is based on one's health, genetics, and risk factors. If you've got risk factors or health problems--you're on the strictest plan. Young & healthy--he's a little more lenient.

"The Spectrum has no rules, no forbidden foods, no guilt -- just a blueprint for determining where you fall on the continuum, and encouragement to make healthful changes.

What matters most is your overall way of eating. I am not saying that you should never consume foods from Group 5-the top of the pyramid (unless you have a serious health condition). If you indulge yourself one day by eating foods from Group 4 or 5, spend a little more time in Groups 1 and 2 the next day.

If you get on a diet, chances are you’ll get off a diet. Sooner or later. For most people, being on a diet—any diet—is not sustainable."

But the further you move toward the healthier end, the more likely you are to look and feel better.

Look, I understand Ornish's soft-pedal approach--but, I prefer the Esselstyn's "Just Stick to the Program 100%" approach. Why fool around with half measures? Give me too much leeway--and I'm sliding down that slippery slope!

If you commit yourself to just follow the program (Esselstyn or Ornish) 100% for one month--you'll lose weight, you'll feel great, your energy will improve, and you'll be motivated to continue. With half-measures you just aren't going to see the same results!

Diet: mostly vegetarian, no added oil, no nuts, no-fat dairy & egg whites are allowed, whole grains, fruit, vegetables, beans & legumes. But, Ornish, also offers a Spectrum (as his book is called) of choices for people who are healthy, or aren't quite ready to follow a super strict diet--including small amounts of "safe" fish, like wild salmon.

Exercise: at least thirty minutes a day--but Ornish will forgive you if you skip a day or do less. Click here for details.

Meditation/Stress reduction Click here for program details. Don't have 20 minutes to meditate? Try it for 5 minutes.

The Importance of Social networks/close relationships: depression & loneliness impair health. Group support is needed to sustain lifestyle changes. Click here for details.

In Ornish's experience, all these elements are key to preventing & reversing disease. The body has a remarkable power to heal itself with diet and exercise, but stress, depression, and loneliness all have powerful negative effects on health. Depression increases mortality by 3 to 10 times.

The Fear Factor Fails - What Motivates Us to Change?

Ornish's viewpoint: No one makes long-lasting lifestyle changes based on the fear of a future disease. That's why he says only 30-40% of people stay on statins. But, what about me? Fear worked for me. I made major lifestyle changes after seeing my parents suffering after ischemic strokes.

According to Ornish, no one is thrilled to stay on statins, diabetes or blood pressure meds for the rest of their lives--in the hopes that they'll avoid a future heart attack or stroke. And let's face it, these drugs usually don't do a thing to make us feel better, look better, feel happier, or lose weight. And all drugs come with side effects.

Ornish's favorite cartoon is of men madly mopping up a wet floor without bothering to turn off the running faucet that's making the sink overflow. Change your diet, start to exercise, find a way to reduce stress--and it's like turning off the faucet--actually treating the causes of disease.

After 34 years in the diet-exercise-meditation-disease-reversal business, Ornish has figured out what motivates people to make serious lifestyle changes. He knows that information alone isn't sufficient to get people to change.

Joy (from feeling healthy), freedom (to choose the changes), & pleasure (from real food & good health) are the real hooks that get people to make changes--and to continue on with them.

No one wants to give up something they like (cheeseburgers & ice-cream)--if there's no pay back--and if it doesn't come quickly!

It's only when you start to see positive changes in your body, like weight loss, energy, reduced pain, less stress, and you're able to cut your meds--that you realize your health is in your own hands. Just ask these folks who are following Dr. Esselstyn's diet, or my friend Neal.

Benefits of Meditation. Within 8 weeks of starting to meditate, stress is reduced, cortisol levels drop (the stress hormone), pain lessens, nitric oxide increases (you heard right), the genes responsible for stress & aging are down-regulated, and oxidative stress is also reduced. Stay tuned for an upcoming post on the benefits of meditation.

How You Look. Your skin improves because a plant-based diet along with exercise increases blood flow & slows aging.

Heart Health. As the heart gets more blood--heart disease is reduced--perfusion improves.

It's All Good. You feel better, you look better, you think better, your energy improves---and because you see change quickly--you're motivated to continue. Convinced?

So how hard is it to make these lifestyle big changes?

Here's how Ornish explains it. He asked the lecture hall audience a couple of questions.

"How many of you have one child?" Lots of hands go up.

"Did your life change?" Lots of nods & chuckles.

"And how many of you had a second one?" Lots of hands go up.

"Did you forget how much your life changed?" Lots of laughter.

You can change your lifestyle, and it will bring joy & pleasure. You do get used to it! I did.

Our palates are malleable. Notice how people easily change from drinking whole milk to skim milk to almond/soy/rice milk? And if you grow up eating healthy foods, you prefer them.

Just Show Me the Evidence

I'm all about the research data. Did I hear anything new from Dr. Ornish? Not really--and if you're a long-time blog reader you've already heard most of this. But, it still motivates & inspires me to to hear it again. It helps me to stay the course!

One Patient's Experience--one year after starting the Ornish program

Dr. Ornish assured us that this man's experience wasn't anything exceptional--but the norm.

Ornish recruited 30 men with low-risk prostate cancer tumors, and for 3 months put them on a low-fat (10%) plant-based diet, had them exercise for 30 minutes a day--6 days a week, and participate in stress management sessions with yoga, stretching, and meditation for 60 minutes a day.

Before the intervention, their cancer genes are red--three months later, the cancer genes are turned off, and show green. The men literally "turned off" the RAS family of genes--these are the ones that promote the growth of breast, colon and prostate cancer.

Yes, they turned off cancer genes with lifestyle changes.

And it gets even better--the also "turned on" the GSTM-1 genes--the protein-producing genes that cause breast, colon, and prostate cancer cells to commit suicide.

They turned off the genes that promote cancer--and turned on the genes that promote its death.

70% of cancer tumor progression was stopped or reversed in the group who followed a plant-based diet, exercised, & meditated or practiced yoga for stress relief.

PSAs were reduced

Dose-response relationship--the men who were the most compliant achieved the most beneficial effects.

30% increase in telomere length--a measure of longevity. After only 3 months, 24 out of 30 men showed significant increases in their telomerase levels. Click here to read about the study. No drug is able to achieve this effect. (my note: omega-3s however, do! click here)

Ornish now recommends fish oil--4 grams/a day or the equivalent--a new addition to his plan. He thinks fish oil is better than eating fish, because right now there are no "safe" fish, and when the oil is removed, it can be molecularly distilled to remove any mercury or PCBs. If you do eat fish--choose wild salmon.

Organic produce is better

Reduce fat. Total fat does matter. It promotes inflammation and atherosclerosis. For heart disease reversal, limit fat to 10% or less of calories.

Reduce sugar & refined carbohydrates

Increase fiber--it will fill you up. Move from bad carbohydrates to the good carbohydrates to prevent chronic insulin surges. Refined carbs accelerate the conversion of calories into fat & promote chronic inflammation.

Forget about olive oil! And by the way--the Lyon Study used canola oil--not olive oil--and that's the study everyone cites to promote the benefits of olive oil. They used canola because they couldn't disguise the taste of olive oil. Read more about the negatives of olive oil here.

Reduce sodium.

According to Ornish, although there have been multiple studies on the health benefits of nuts--whether or not they are beneficial for heart patients will require more study!

When it comes to calcium, there's a balance between intake & excretion. Too much animal protein causes calcium excretion.

Angioplasties & bypasses don't prolong life--diet does. They will get you out of a crisis or stop angina. Read the COURAGE Trial results here.

The Ornish Program Approved for Medicare in August 2010

Getting Medicare approval for any new program, procedure, or diagnostic tool is tough. It took Ornish 7 years to finally get approval for his program.

Bottom Line: Ornish's program saves money! On average, his patients lose 20 pounds, improve their quality of life, get their blood pressure back to normal without drugs, lower their cholesterol, and get off of diabetes medications--while helping to prevent future coronary events.

According to Ornish, getting Medicare on board with prevention & reimbursing for lifestyle changes is a major step in changing the practice of medicine.

If you received this via email, click here to get to the web version of this post with graphs, links, & comments.

I hate to start a phone call with,"Sorry, I only have two minutes to talk. But, I just had to tell you, that:

Jon finally got a job.

Bruce Springsteen's coming to town & you have to order the tickets tomorrow.

Aunt Susie is in the hospital--but don't worry, she'll be OK.

Mary just got engaged. The wedding's in August.

Come for dinner tomorrow.

"Sorry, I'll call you later with details. Gotta run."

I have no business posting anything today. I've got to clean my house, shop for Monday's seder, and start cooking, now! Then it's off to the Banff Mountain Film Festival tonight. Woo Hoo. I'm excited. Probably won't have any time to post until next Friday.

Oh, and BTW, HHLL just hit over a million blog post views this morning--with readers in 191 countries!

Just Sharing the News- Three Upcoming Events That Can Change Lives

Event #1

On Tuesday, April 19th I have the opportunity to hear Dr. Dean Ornish speak on "The Power of Personalized Lifestyle Changes" at a "closed to the public" Wellness Grand Rounds. Can't wait.

"We tend to think of advances in medicine as a new drug, laser, or surgical procedure--something high-tech and expensive.

This presentation will discuss the power of comprehensive lifestyle changes, reviewing more than 30 years of research using high-tech, state-of-the-art measures to prove the power of low-tech, low-cost, and often ancient interventions.

Also, the lecture will describe proven strategies for motivating people to make and maintain comprehensive lifestyle changes, as well as how to personalize a way of eating and living based on an individual's needs, genes, and preferences.

Finally, the presentation will describe many of the health policy implications of comprehensive lifestyle changes as both medically effective and cost effective."

Event #2

On Thursday, April 21st I'm attending the following Slate "The Hive"/Cleveland Clinic: Fighting Childhood Obesity National Forum--8:30-12:15 am. Registration is open & online. Click here.

Consider attending a 3-day low-cost wellness weekend event in beautiful Athens, Ohio on May 19-21, that's open to the public, and co-sponsored by Ohio University Colleges of Health Professions & the Ohio University College of Osteopathics Medicine.Click here for more information.

Appalachian Health Summit May 20-21, 2011

Summit Speakers

Roger L. Greenlaw, MD

Dr. Greenlaw is founder and president of a prominent gastroenterology group since 1975. He received his MD in internal medicine from the University of Missouri, completed a gastroenterology fellowship at Yale, and served on the faculty of the University of Illinois College of Medicine at Rockford, attaining the rank of Clinical Professor of Medicine. Dr. Greenlaw is board certified in Internal Medicine, Gastroenterology, and Holistic Medicine. Dr. Greenlaw practices holistic gastroenterology with an emphasis on lifestyle medicine. www.rockforfgi.com

John H. Kelly Jr, MD, MPH

Dr. Kelly completed an MD/MPH degree program at Loma Linda University School of Medicine in 2000 and his Master's of Public Health in Epidemiology in 2002. Dr. Kelly is the primary architect and Founding President of the American College of Lifestyle Medicine (ACLM) and was a recipient of the AMA Foundation's Excellence in Medicine Leadership Award in 2004. Dr. Kelly's lifestyle medicine practice is located in Rocky Mount, Virginia. www.lifestylehealthdoc.com.

Dr. Michelle May, MD

Author and recovered yoyo dieter, Dr. May delivers her crucial and timely message with passion, energy, and humor that transforms the way her audiences view weight management. She is the award-winning author of Am I Hungry? What to Do When Diets Don't Work and Eat What You Love, Love What You Eat: How to Break Your Eat-Repent-Repeat Cycle which reinforces her powerful message for lasting change. She founded Am IHungry?(r) Workshops, and won the Excellence in Patient Education Innovation Award. She has trained over 170 Am I Hungry?(r) Facilitators worldwide. www.amihungry.com.

Jeffrey Novick, MS, RD, LD, LN

With over 24 years of experience as a nutritionist and dietitian, Mr. Novick offers an insightful and humorous approach to nutrition and health. He holds both bachelor and graduate degrees in Nutrition from Indiana State University. Currently, Mr. Novick serves as Vice President for Executive Health Exams International, Adjunct Professor at the School of Health Sciences for Kaplan University, and lectures at the McDougall program in Santa Rosa, CA. www.jeffnovick.com

Jim Pshock

As a consulting company, Bravo Wellness offers services and tools to business partners desiring results-based wellness programs. Their successes have been unequaled in the industry. Bravo's founder, Jim Pshock, has been at the forefront of the use of result-based wellness incentives since 2004. Mr. Pshock has worked closely with the Department of Labor, Internal Revenue Service and Centers for Medicaid and Medicare to understand the practical application of these new regulations and is uniquely positioned to lead this initiative. www.bravowell.com

Rodney Snow, M.D.

Dr. Snow is a third year Endocrinology and Metabolism Fellow at the University of Virginia, where he has helped to start an insulin resistance clinic in 2009 to treat patients who have type 2 diabetes mellitus, metabolic syndrome and obesity with lifestyle interventions and a vegan diet. He received the National Institutes of Health Ruth R. Kirschstein National Research Service Award for his ongoing study of the impact of plant based nutrition on insulin resistant type 2 diabetes mellitus.

Micheal O. Thorner, M.D.

Dr. Thorner is a David C. Harrison Teaching Professor of Internal Medicine at the University of Virginia, is a fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, of the Royal College of Physicians (London), and Master of the American College of Physicians. His current research is on the epidemic of diabetes and obesity with patients who have these conditions and their responses to supervised lifestyle changes which have allowed them to stop insulin therapy. Dr. Thorner, Dr. Snow and others are assembling a model of how the normal homeostatic mechanisms are subverted by a modern lifestyle and the Western diet.

Steven G. Aldana, PhD

Dr. Aldana has published over 60 scientific articles on the prevention, arrest, and reversal of America's most common chronic diseases. He has written 7 books on the ability of healthy lifestyle habits to prevent cardiovascular disease, cancers, diabetes, and many chronic diseases. His most recent book, The Culprit and The Cure is currently being used by over 4,500 companies and corporations in an effort to boost productivity and reduce employee related health expenses. The Harvard School of Public Health says this book is "better than the best medicines". www.stevealdana.com

T. Colin Campbell, PhDdwd

For more than 40 years, Dr. Colin Campbell has been at the forefront of nutrition research. His legacy, the China Study, is the most comprehensive study of health and nutrition ever conducted. The study was a partnership project between the Chinese and American governments that produced statistically significant associations between various dietary factors and disease. Dr. Campbell is a Professor Emeritus of Nutritional Biochemistry at Cornell University. He received his master's degree and PhD from Cornell, served as a Research Associate at MIT, and taught at Virginia Tech for 10 years before returning to Cornell Chair. www.tcolincampbell.org.

Antonia Demas, Ph.D.

Dr. Demas has a Ph.D. in education, nutrition, and anthropology from Cornell University. She is the founder and director of the Food Studies Institute, based in Trumansburg, New York, a non-profit devoted to improving the long-term health and education of children. Her curriculum, Food Is Elementary, has been used successfully in more than 2,000 schools in 33 states. She consults, trains, and certifies teachers as food educators in the U.S. and abroad. Dr. Demas is a Visiting Scholar at Johns Hopkins University School of Public Health and at the University of Illinois Medical School. www.foodstudies.org

Hans Diehl, DrHSc, MPH,CNS

Dr. Diehl is an epidemiologically trained lifestyle interventionist with a doctorate in Health Science and a Masters in Public Health Nutrition, both from Loma Linda University, where he is a Clinical Professor of Preventive Medicine. Dr. Diehl directs of the Lifestyle Medicine Institute in California and is founder of the CHIP Program (Coronary Health Improvement Project). With more than 50,000 alumni, CHIP advocates a healthier lifestyle to prevent and reverse diseases. His book "Health Power" has sold over 2 million copies. www.chiphealth.com

D. W. Edington

Dr. Edington is the director of the University of Michigan's Health Management Research Center. Dr. Edington's research focuses on the precursors of disease and vitality. His interest is in the relationships between healthy lifestyles, vitality and quality of life, as they benefit both individuals and organizations. He is specifically interested in how individual health promotion, worksite wellness activities and programs within organizations impact health care cost containment, productivity, and human resource development. www.hmrc.umich.edu

Caldwell B. Esselstyn, Jr, MD

Dr. Esselstyn has been associated with the Cleveland Clinic since 1968. During that time he served as President of the Staff and as a member of the Board of Governors. In 2005, he became the first recipient of the Benjamin Spock Award for Compassion in Medicine. In 1995, he published his benchmark long-term nutritional study: arresting and reversing coronary artery disease in severely ill patients. Twelve years later he updated and published the study in his book Prevent and Reverse Heart Disease. www.heartattackproof.com.

Rip Esselstyn

Rip was born in upper New York state and moved to Austin Texas to become an All-American swimmer. After spending 10 years as a professional triathlete Rip joined the Austin Fire Department in 1997. His New York Times bestseller "Engine2 Diet" contains a groundbreaking nutritional program with indisputable, dramatic results in lowering cholesterol and losing weight in just 4 weeks. For more information log on to: www.engine2diet.com.

Frank Schwartz, MD

Professor of Endocrinology, Ohio University College of Osteopathic Medicine (OU-COM), Dept. of Specialty Medicine; J. O. Watson, D.O., Chair for Diabetes Research and the Director; ARHI Diabetes Endocrine Center at OU-COM. His clinical practice addresses all diseases related to the endocrine system; pituitary, thyroid, parathyroid, adrenal, ovary, testis and metabolic diseases such as diabetes or metabolic bone disease. The center was designed to meet the complex health care challenges of the diabetes epidemic in the country and specifically in Appalachia. Under his direction the ARHI Diabetes/Endocrine Center has established outreach programs in several underserved cities in the region.

Tania Basta, PhD, MPH, CHES

Panel Discussion Moderator: "Putting it all together: Action Steps for a Healthier Appalachia"

This Week's Reading List: Is Sitting a Lethal Activity? What's the Single Best Exercise? How Much Sleep Do You Need?

How Much Do You Move?

Getting the Most Bang for Your Exercise Buck

How Much Sleep Do You Need?

AMERICAN SLUMBER Number of hours of sleep (self-reported) on weeknights.

I wish I had time to write about these great reads--but responsibilities await. Learn & enjoy!

How Little Sleep Can You Get Away With? by Maggie Jones. I had to get up at 4:30 am on Friday morning to go to an out-of-town meeting--and it turned me into a crabby impatient brain-dead librarian. That's what operating on 4 hours of poor quality sleep does to me. I need 7-8 hours of the restful stuff to feel my best.

If you missed my Wednesday post, be sure to read, the Sunday's New York Times Magazine article: Is Sugar Toxic? Gary Taubes. It's eye-opening & controversial.

"Folks with high cholesterol often are overweight, and if they deal with their cholesterol through medication only, they leave themselves open to such other chronic health problems as diabetes, high blood pressure, and arthritis."

"The thought of controlling cholesterol solely through medicationis an unfortunate point of view. There are a lot of other factors, especially when it comes to body weight, that the medications won't help.

"The idea that 'I'll just take medications' isn't a very healthy option, especially for the long term."

If you received this post via email click here to get to the web version with photos & links.

For every 8.8 pound increase in the weight portion of one's BMI--the risk of developing ischemic heart disease increases by more than 50%. Three recent Danish studies, based on 81,000 Danish men & women found a direct cause & effect between elevated BMI (body mass index) and raised heart disease risk--the more weight a person gains, the greater the risk of developing narrowed heart arteries & reduced blood flow to the heart. Dr. Borge Nordestgaard, the University of Copenhagen. Presented at the AmericanHeart Association Meeting, November, 2010.

"Stents & bypasses are just temporary patch jobs. If you have blockages in one place assume you have them everywhere--and unless you radically change your diet, stents, bypasses, and statins are no guarantee that you won't have a future cardiovascular event." from "What I Learned at Prevent & Reverse Heart Disease School"

"Multiple studies show that if you have one ruptured plaque you have many." -Dr. Steven Nissen, chairman of Cardiovascular Medicine at the Cleveland Clinic-

"We can't cure this disease until we address the fundamentals of lifestyle." -Dr. Eric Topol-

Why not just take a statin instead of following a strict diet?

Most lipid-lowering studies show a slower progression of cardiovascular disease---slower PROGRESSION is still PROGRESSION

Most lipid-lowering studies show 30% fewer new heart attacks. What about the other 70%?

Most lipid-lowering studies show 30% fewer heart attack deaths. What about the other 70%?

Most lipid-lowering studies show 30% fewer surgical interventions will be needed. What about the other 70%?

And don't forget that statins increase the risk of developing diabetes by 9%.

There are documented cognitive problems when statins are used in high-doses.

As age & dose increases muscle pain & weakness increases in statin users. 70% of statins users who do not have muscle pain are shown to have microscopic inflammation in their muscle cells.

Statins inhibit the HMG-coA Reductase, the enzyme in our body that makes cholesterol in our liver. Our bodies need a certain amount of cholesterol to properly function--and to inhibit an enzyme can produce serious side effects. Why take a statin, when a plant-based diet can lower cholesterol & inflammation without needing to inhibit HMG-coA reductase?

Probably not! But I know people who switched to a no-oil plant-based diet, started to exercise--and whose doctors were able to lower or stop their medications, and they say: "I feel amazing! I've had to buy all new clothes because my weight dropped effortlessly, I've got energy that lasts all day long, I'm finally able to exercise without being breathless or my legs aching, and I can even get down on the floor to play with my grandkids."

Hearing Success Stories from Real People Motivates Us! We Just Need to Keep On Hearing Them!

In January 2011 Dr. Thomas Houston of the University of Massachusetts published an article in the Annals of Internal Medicine about African-American patients who were motivated to make their own lifestyle changes to lower their out-of-control blood pressure after hearing others share their own success stories on a DVD. Read the NYT essay "When Patients Share Their Stories Health May Improve"--here.

One big problem: One good story wasn't enough to keep them motivated long-term to continue with the lifestyle changes they needed to make. Why? It turns out that some of us need continual support to stay motivated--we need to keep on hearing the success stories of others--and get support from others to sustain that change. I know I do!

San'Dera and Joey are two of my favorite health make-over stories in Forks Over Knives. This morning a physician friend sent me the link to Oprah's site where some genius film editor put together a two minute clip of these two sharing their "get-pumped" motivational stories: Go San'Dera & Joey! Click here hear them (just 2 minutes)--too bad there's a 30-second ad you have to watch first.

I received this story 2 weeks ago from a professor who is the director of quantitative/psychometric methods at a major university. It certainly motivates me--and he gave me permission to share this with you.

Dear Healthy Librarian,

I just wanted to give you a "heartfelt" thank you for your time and effort in putting together my favorite blog.

Approximately 2 1/2 years ago I had a very unexpected heart attack.

Although I am in my early fifties, I am slim, I bike to work (or walk when its snowing -- which is often in my neighborhood) -- i.e., I am not your typical poster boy for stents.

Nevertheless, one evening after enjoying a plate of chicken wings (from Trader Joes) I collapsed to the ground.

An hour of so later I had two stents in my heart (the so-called "widow maker" was blocked) and was told that I would be swallowing 8 pills a day for the rest of my life.

My first thought was "NO WAY am I listening to this overweight and puffy-looking doc."

The day after returning home I went to Barnes and Nobles and LUCKILY found Esselstyn's (the senior) book Prevent and Reverse Heart Disease (I am sooo jealous that you actually know the Esselstyn's -- he is my number 1 hero).

I truly believe that this book saved my life. My wife and 6 year old son (yeah, I was a very late starter) have been tremendously supportive of my new eating habits (jumping on the bandwagon) and we are now an oil free, vegan household (actually, my son, who was 4 at the time of my heart attack -- cried a very sympathetic wail when he heard that daddy was no longer going to eat ice cream).

Soon afterwards I found your blog and I have been a regular reader ever since. In fact, I send your url to all of my middle-aged, paunchy friends (we are a bunch of Type I professors who find it amazing that we are no longer the young slim profs in the dept).

So THANK YOU very much for your wonderful blog. I have learned a great deal from your writing. I am also eating gourmet meals each night thanks to your recent cookbook tip.

And I am no longer on _any_ meds (although I do take vitamin D and Co-Q 10 each day). My blood work looks great and I thank you and Esselstyn for that!

Thanks again for your long distance support, encouragement, and teachings.

BTW - if you and your husband are ever in this part of the country, and long for a yummy vegan pizza, our freezer is stocked with Sami's whole grain pizza crusts. We would love to make one (or two, or three) for you.

Five days after I heard from the professor, I received this email with a similar story--but with a twist.

Jeff had been a vegan for 13 years before he got the surprise of his life. Hey, we all know that not all vegan diets are the same. You can eat a heart-attack proof high-nutrient no-oil plant-based diet. Or you can load your shopping cart with Daiya (vegan) cheese, Earth Balance margarine, Amy's Frozen Dinners, Veganaise (vegan mayo), French fries, and faux fatty vegan "meats".

If any of you caught Kathy Freston on Oprah's "Let's Get Healthy & Go Vegan" show that aired on February 7, 2011.... you'll know why that show was so frustrating for me. If the point of her vegan challenge is to promote a vegan diet for ethical reasons, OK, eat fake or fatty foods---but don't go on national television & let people think that Kathy Freston's version of vegan is the way to superior health. It's not! Check out Kathy's "Helpful" Shopping List here and you'll see what I mean. This is how I used to eat--and I never lost a pound, & my lipids didn't improve. Then reads this!

Dear Healthy Librarian,

I just wanted to take a minute and thank you for your blog. It's a great source of information that I found this summer when I was looking for answers.

Here's my story: I'm 37 years old, and last July I received a stent at the young age of 36. It was frightening to say the least. I went to the cardiologist because I wasn't able to ride my bicycle with the same power and speed I was used to

They ended up finding a 70% blockage in my LAD. If I would have known everything I know now, I may have probably declined the stent and changed my lifestyle, but there's nothing I can do about it now (except take every step I can to make sure it doesn't happen again).

The interesting thing about my story is that I was Vegan for about 13 years. Of course, I was a very unhealthy vegan. I ate a lot of processed vegan food and was a bad overeater.

About 1.5 years before I got my stent, I decided I was going to 'downgrade' to being vegetarian. I'm almost positive this move is what led to the blockage.

Anyway, I've been on the Esselstyn train since a few days after my stent (side note: in the hospital the morning after my procedure they gave me an omelette covered with cheese - which I couldn't bring myself to eat).

To date I've lost about 45 pounds and I feel great. I admit that I've slipped here and there - mostly while out - with things like regular hummus or white pasta (and the gravy that had olive oil in it that my mom bought me for Thanksgiving), but over the last few months I've really come to understand how important it is to be faithful to this way of eating.

The nice part is that since I was vegan for so long it doesn't really feel too restrictive to me.

They did start me on statins while I was in the hospital, so I'm not sure what my cholesterol was prior to the stent. I did have my cholesterol tested a few weeks after the stent and it looked like this:

Component

Your Value

Standard Range

Units

CHOLESTEROL (LAB)

111

< 200

mg/dL

TRIGLYCERIDES

82

< 150

mg/dL

HDL CHOLESTEROL

29

> 40

mg/dL

LDL CHOLESTEROL, CALCULATED

66

< 100

mg/dL

VLDL CHOLESTEROL, CALCULATED

16

< 31

mg/dL

NON-HDL CHOLESTEROL

82

< 130

mg/dL

I had it tested again about a month and a half after the stent and my change to a plant-based no-oil diet and it looked like this:

Component

Your Value

Standard Range

Units

CHOLESTEROL (LAB)

70

< 200

mg/dL

TRIGLYCERIDES

28

< 150

mg/dL

HDL CHOLESTEROL

29

> 40

mg/dL

LDL CHOLESTEROL, CALCULATED

35

< 100

mg/dL

VLDL CHOLESTEROL, CALCULATED

6

< 31

mg/dL

NON-HDL CHOLESTEROL

41

< 130

mg/dL

Pretty dramatic! My cardiologist was pretty blown away by these numbers. He asked what I did. I said "I've radically changed my diet" and he replied, "You've definitely done something!"

He cut my statin in half and I'm about due for another test. It'll be interesting to see if I can quit taking the statin altogether.

I have some more weight to lose (about 30 or so pounds - I'm 6'1" - I was about 260 in July and I'm about 210 now) and I'm hoping the extra weight loss will allow me to discontinue that medication as well

It's been quite a journey. I'm just glad that through this experience I was able to reclaim my health. This is definitely a change for life.Why would I ever want to change when I've seen and felt the results!? It's amazing.

Thanks so much and I look forward to reading your blog for years to come!

Jeff

After the Cancer Diagnosis and Treatment--What's Next? When Your Doctor Says You Can Just Return to Your "Normal Life"

Dear Healthy Librarian,

I just wanted to let you know, how much I appreciate your generosity. I was a slim, otherwise apparently healthy woman in her early forties (good blood pressure, cholesterol etc.) who got a shock when she was diagnosed with aggressive cancer.

After I completed treatment (surgery, chemo and radiation) my doctors told me to go back to my "normal" life. I did not feel comfortable with that.

I resolved to change my habits but how???--finding reliable information is very difficult. I started reading everything I could get my hands on and a few months after I commenced my search I stumbled on your blog when I read a comment that you made on the New York Times website.

As soon as I started reading your site, I felt as if I had stumbled into a wonderland of useful life changing information. Since I found your blog in Autumn 2009, I have radically changed my diet, exercise etc. and I have also encouraged my father to change as we ll.

People are always asking us now what we are up to. We look so different. I look and feel totally different. I feel much better than I did before the cancer. I have introduced your blog to many people. I want you to know how grateful I feel for your efforts. Truly, you are a force for good in the world. I think of you affectionately every morning when I am making green smoothies with my VitaMix. I hope you can feel the love! Best wishes for your health and happiness, OL

As I finished writing this post yesterday, I heard from my friend Joyce who's been 95% following plant-based no-oil for a few months. She just got her latest lipid panel back--and it was stellar!

I also just heard yesterday from a reader from New Mexico who has made major lifestyle changes over the past year & she, too, just got back her doctor's report. What a success story she has to share! But, I'll have to save that one for another day.

When it comes to our health (and happiness is a part of it), all of us want to be in control--and to know that there's something (in addition to--or instead of only pills & procedures) that we can do for ourselves to get there.

Your thoughts? I'm kind of, sort of, maybe, thinking about taking the plunge & creating a Happy Healthy Long Life Facebook page so I can better share quick links to articles/books I'm reading, news, tips, recipes, quick answers to common questions readers ask me, etc--that I never have a chance to share on the blog. And better yet--you all can more easily share your tips/comments/recipe photos. I'd love your feedback on this. Will it be a huge time abyss??

Recipe Feedback: I've heard "thumbs up" for the Vindaloo Tofu Curry from readers--it is spicy--but just right. And a reader's tip to add kale instead of spinach to the Savory Cheezy Oatmeal. He says the savory keeps him full and feeling better than the fruited sweet variety.

February 05, 2011

December 31, 2010--Ending the Year Right--With Good Friends, Good Food, Good Music & Dancing

If you received this post via email click here to get to the web version & all the links.

Last year on my 60th birthday, perhaps naively, I sat down to figure out if there was anything I could do to increase my odds for a healthy happy rest of my life. My parents hadn't fared so well after they hit 60.

"Judging by my parents--that last quarter of life doesn't look so promising. Which is exactly why I've been paying attention to exercise and eating right since I turned 30.

That's when my dad had one of those massive debilitating strokes that left him unable to communicate, unable to read or fully understand speech, and eventually unable to walk or do anything. He was 69 at the time--just when he was getting ready to kick back a little, work a little less, travel, and just enjoy life. He spent 16 years living in this kind of post-stroke-limbo-state, spiraling downward.

My mom was 62 at the time, and my dad's stroke changed her life in an instant. One minute she was planning all the trips they'd finally have a chance to take--and enjoying their new role as grandparents--and in the next she was jockeying the world of wheelchairs and therapists.

With the stress of full-time care-giving, and years of no exercise or attention to diet, by 72 she had developed severe coronary artery blockages, hypertension, kidney stones, osteoporosis and painful spinal fractures. Then came the mini-strokes that finally added up to vascular dementia in her eighties."

It outlined the 12 things I planned to do to stay healthy--live long--and die short (hopefully)! And evidenced-based librarian that I am, most of these strategies are backed by research--and tried out by yours-truly.

So how did I do? What worked? What didn't? And most importantly, what new strategies did I learn about in 2010 that are now part of my daily routine?

I looked over all of my 2010 posts to see what new strategies I've added to my original Top 12--and I was surprised to see how much I've learned--and how much I've changed this year.

I'm including the links to my favorite "I'm now doing this daily" posts for 2010 so I won't have to bore you with the details. And I'll follow it all up with a repeat of my Start of the New Year, Start of the New Decade, and the Start of My Sixties post--with notes on what worked, what didn't, for me.

And a huge thank you to everyone who takes the time out of their busy day to read Happy Healthy Long Life. If not for all of you, I know I wouldn't take the time to carefully read & summarize research articles, pay as close attention to the details of the recipes I try out, and be so diligent with what I choose to eat. And because I really stuck with no-oil plant-based diet, I'm hooked, it's now a habit, cravings are history, and I feel great! P.S. I love hearing from all of you! It makes my efforts all worthwhile!

Biggest Changes in 2010?

1. I've lost 13 pounds since June 21, 2010 (in 7 1/2 months) by adopting Dr. Caldwell Esselstyn's "Prevent & Reverse Heart Disease" approach to eating--just by cutting out added oils in my cooking & in the groceries I buy, ditching all nuts (except very small amounts of walnuts), chocolate (not cocoa) & avocados (except for occasional small amounts). It effortlessly did the job. I also reduced my body's percentage of fat by 5%.

Back in March 2008 I had cut out all animal protein (dairy, meat, fowl, ate fish only rarely) and sugar & desserts (mostly) from my diet--and I used whole grains. But, I never lost one single pound until I cut out the oil, chocolate, nuts, & avocados, in spite of exercising regularly! To be fair, I wasn't trying or expecting to lose weight on the Esselstyn diet--I was more interested in the health benefits. I didn't expect to shed more than 4 or 5 pounds--but I'm thrilled with the results! Belly fat is gone--and the butt has shrunk! Don't be fooled that olive oil, chocolate, nuts, & avocados are health foods. There are far better choices out there--that are far less addictive--and more nutrient-dense.

2. Health Means Money Where I Work. Thanks to eating Esselstyn Style, I qualifed for hefty health insurance rebates from my hospital employer at the start of 2011. I got a 9% rebate off of my 2010 premiums, and I locked into the 2009 rates for 2011--another hefty 17% rebate. Why? Because my borderline hypertension is now history, and my lipids are now looking great. My weight is a comfortable 118 pounds for my small 5' 3" frame--and my BMI is 20.9. No medical conditions. No prescription meds. Woo Hoo! Lower insurance rates!

Why This Plan Works--A Picture & a Graph Tell the Story

Here's why I feel full and can eat whenever I'm hungry. My belly can only hold 400 calories of high-fiber, high-nutrient plant-based food at a time! It's that simple.

This chart makes it clear as day where you're going to find the best nutrient bang for your calorie dollar!

The Healthy Librarian's New "Evidence-Based Living" Strategies for 2010

The Exercise Changes I Made This Year

Kicked it up a notch with the aerobics: This year's research convinced me that at middle-age I needed to "kick it up a notch" when it comes to heart-pumping aerobics. I've added higher-intensity intervals to my spinning workout and I've noticed a reduced resting heart rate--an increased aerobic capacity and calorie burn. Read more here and here and here

Yoga to strengthen your bones & improve core strength, balance & flexibility: When I learned that yoga is one of the best things you can do to strengthen every bone in your body (not to mention the chill-out factor)--I decided to rearrange my work schedule so I could fit in 3 classes a week. I never enjoyed yoga that much, nor saw any flexibility improvements until I increased the number of times from once a week or less, to 3 times a week. Now I'm a huge yoga fan. Read more here and here

Weight-lifting/Strength-training for the brain & bones: Weight-training was last on my agenda when it came to exercise--but this year's research showed a double-header benefit for improvements in both the brain & bones deparment when you weight-train at least 2 times a week. This was too hard to ignore. I now "lift" twice a week--and my husband promises to teach me an easy-to-do-at-home kettle bell routine that can be done in just 10 minutes. Read more here and here and here

My typical weekly routine: Yoga 3 times a week, spinning 4 times a week, weights/strength training 2 times a week. One or two days off a week. I can get in this many workouts in each week because twice a week I exercise for 2 hours.

This Research Convinced Me to Make These Supplement/Diet Changes in 2010

Omega-3s Lengthen Telomeres--slowing down biological aging. Who can resist that? I'm not as regular as I should be, but I do take both a molecularly-distilled pharmaceutical quality fish oil capsule, along with a plant-based DHA supplement. Although this study only looked at the benefits from fish oil--2 other studies in 2010 showed that plant-based omega-3s (ALA)--that's the the kind found in high amounts in flax & chia--and in smaller amounts in berries & greens--work just as well as fish oil. Read more here

Vitamin D for So Many Reasons--in spite of the Institute of Medicine's October 2010 guidelines I'm sticking to the advice of Dr. Bruce Hollis and Dr. Michael Holick and taking 2000-4000 IUs of vitamin D--but, it's rarely daily--& my doc tracks my vitamin D levels. Read more about Hollis & vitamin D here. I'm also following Dr. Angelo Licata's research that found that absorption increased by 50% or more if you take your vitamin D with your heaviest meal of the day. Read more about Licata's research here

I'm eating the fruits & vegetables with the highest amounts of antioxidants. Check the ORAC Index or the Fuhrman/Whole Foods ANDI (aggregate nutrient density index) rankings for the foods with the most bang for the buck. Read more here

B-12 Everyday 1000 mcg/a day: If you're eating plant-based take a B-12 once daily--that's the only way you'll get enough. Even if you're eating meat--many medical conditions, prescription drugs, as well as just plain aging can impair the absorption of B-12. This year's research pointed out the need for adequate B-12 for brain health as we age. Read more here and here

Rethinking calcium requirements & calcium supplements. I've decreased my calcium supplement to just 1 a day for 315 mg of calcium--and follow Dr. Walter Willett's advice about the total amount I need--just 700 mg/a day compared to the DRI of 1200 mg/a day for the over 50 set. I eat a lot of greens & they provide highly absorbable calcium. New this year--2 Australian studies found an increase in cardiovascular events with calcium supplements. Read more here

Ditch Vegetable Oils & Nuts (walnuts, excluded)--the highest sources of inflammatory omega-6s. A groundbreaking meta-analysis published in the British Journal of Nutrition pulled the plug on the theory that polyunsaturated oils are good for heart. Nuts, especially peanuts are off-the-charts high in omega-6s, too! It took years for the polyunsaturated oil study to surface, so despite research to the contrary, I'm still not convinced that eating 2.5 ounces of nuts a day is a wise health move! I'm staying away--except for walnuts. Read more here and here

Brain Booster Changes Based on 2010 Research

Berries, baby! The research is nothing but good, good, good for berries & the brain. In fact, now we know a little bit more about how they do their magic on the brain. They "activate the brain's natural "housekeeper" mechanism, which cleans up and recycles toxic proteins linked to age-related memory loss and other mental decline." Like mini-brain-maids these cells clear out brain junk. I have berries daily in my Green Smoothies, and either on top of my oatmeal, or mixed in plain soy yogurt. Lower cost organic mixed berries are at BJ's. Read more here and here.

Increased my aerobic exercise & cleaned up my diet--the better the cardiac index the less your brain's volume shrinks. What's good for the heart is unquestionably good for the brain, according to the latest Framingham study and a University of Pittsburgh study that demonstrated sizable increases in brain volume in the seniors who walked the most! Read more here and here

Keep learning new things daily to grow brain cells & connections. The only way to keep building brain cells & new connections is by continuously engaging in serious, challenging learning for the rest of your life. It requires effort, and it has to be something that's important and interesting to you! It requires intense focus. Dr. Michael Merzenich is the go-to-guy in this arena. I'm certainly hoping that putting together this blog is doing something for my brain! Read more here

Favorite Wisdom of 2010 - It Works for Me

Alkalol & saline solution to prevent colds. I'm talking about neti pot nasal irrigation with 1-2 TBS of Alkalol, a cup of warm water, 1/2 tsp. of salt, & a 1/4 tsp. of baking soda at the first inkling that a cold is brewing. 1/2 cup through each nostril. Honestly, this works for me. Haven't had a cold in a year--in spite of close calls. What's Alkalol? It's a solution invented in 1896 by a Massachusets pharmacist, that's made with methol, eucalyptus, thymol, camphor, and oils of wintergreen, spearmint, pine, and cinnamon. Its "an alkaline saline solution specifically formulated to clean and moisturize the nasal passages, dissolve mucus, kill germs and bacteria, and provide natural relief from the symptoms of sinusitis and allergies." Better than the now FDA-banned Zicam. It's sold at my hospital pharmacy, CVS, Drug Mart & Walgreens, but you'll probably have to ask the pharmacist for this low-marketing-budget product. Read more here

Make time for fun! Away from computers & technology. Hey, I got this message directly from my mom, who passed away in 2003! This is one of my favorite (& weirdest) posts! Read more here And here

Sister power. They can be the flesh-and-blood kind--or the best-friend kind. It doesn't matter. We all need someone with whom we can share our most insignificant day-to-day things with--and who can give us a reality check. I count my blessings in this department! I've got two--Beth & Lisa. Read more here

We get our greatest happiness from the experiences we share with our friends & family--not from expensive consumer goods. "We know that the best predictor of human happiness is human relationships and the amount of time that people spend with family and friends." Spend your time & money wisely. Dr. Dan Gilbert swears by this research-backed advice. Click here for Gilbert and here and here and here for my year.

"When in doubt, do the positive."This was Jeanne Marie Laskas' mother's favorite saying and a rule I try to live by. It's a handy one when you're faced with life's big dilemmas. "Remember? The positive is the active thing. Can't decide whether you're qualified for that new job? Just apply. Can't decide whether to go on that first blind date after a divorce or sit home in your pajamas? Go on the date." Click here for more

Life on the Esselstyn Style Diet

In May, when I found out my cholesterol wasn't as outstanding as I had expected, in spite of a mostly plant-based diet, I asked Dr. Caldwell Esselstyn for advice. He invited me to be a guest at the day-long session he runs once a month at the Cleveland Clinic, along with this wife Ann.

He challenged me to try eating and cooking with no-added-oils for 4 weeks & see how it works out for me. I attended the class on June 18th, and started eating Esselstyn-style on June 21st. I haven't looked back & now it's just, "how I eat". I feel wonderful, I've lost weight, I've got lots of energy, I feel mentally sharp, and my digestive system is AMAZING! Any nagging hip or joint pain I'd had in the past is long gone--not sure if I can credit the elimination of the inflammtory omega-6s with this surprising occurence or not.

You can read all about the day long session, and my Esselstyn-style cooking adventures in these posts:

Spiced Pumpkin Fruited Steel-Cut Oats is my new breakfast fave--brimming with alpha & beta carotenes Read more here Top it with a tablespoon of chia seed & you won't be thinking about lunch for hours!

Sami's Pizza Crusts--whole grain millet & flax, no-oil & delicious. Order from Sami's Bakery in Florida & receive them in 2 days--it's really not a big deal. Can't live without these. Just received an order for 16 to divide among 3 of us. With delivery it comes to $5.00 per crust--not cheap--but it's fast--whole grain--and feeds my need for pizza. Read more here

Appetite for Reduction, by Isa Chandra Moskowitz--my current go-to favorite cookbook. I could use it everyday. She's finally cut the fat, calories, eliminated the vegan junk stuff & included nutritional info. I highly recommend it! Read more here

January 2, 2010

It's the Start of the New Year, the Start of the New Decade, and the Start of My Sixties. Some Simple Strategies for Staying Healthy and Happy. At Least I Can Hope!

Author Dan Buettner has scoured the Earth — not for the fabled Fountain of Youth — but for the key to a happy old age. He spent five years visiting areas of the world where people tend to live longer, healthier lives, areas he calls "Blue Zones."

Buettner says he has identified four things people can do that can potentially increase life expectancy:

Create an environment that encourages physical activity

Set up your kitchen in such a way that you're not overeating

Cultivate a sense of purpose

Surround yourself with the right people.

"These are long-term fixes that have been shown over and over to add not only more years of life, but better years of life."

If you're reading this through via email, click here to get to the more readable web-version.

It's the start of the New Year.

It's the start of a new decade.

It's the day I turn sixty.

Look, I'm not a big-birthday-celebration-kind-of-person. They come and go and I don't even think about the years. But turning 60 is different. It's the last quarter of life, with no guarantees on what that quarter is going to look like.

Judging by my parents--that last quarter of life doesn't look so promising. Which is exactly why I've been paying attention to exercise and eating right since I turned 30.

That's when my dad had one of those massive debilitating strokes that left him unable to communicate, unable to read or fully understand speech, and eventually unable to walk or do anything. He was 69 at the time--just when he was getting ready to kick back a little, work a little less, travel, and just enjoy life. He spent 16 years living in this kind of post-stroke-limbo-state, spiraling downward.

My mom was 62 at the time, and my dad's stroke changed her life in an instant. One minute she was planning all the trips they'd finally have a chance to take--and enjoying their new role as grandparents--and in the next she was jockeying the world of wheelchairs and therapists.

With the stress of full-time care-giving, and years of no exercise or attention to diet, by 72 she had developed severe coronary artery blockages, hypertension, kidney stones, and painful spinal fractures. Then came the mini-strokes that finally added up to vascular dementia in her eighties.

And unfortunately, this scenario is all too common. "[M]ost elderly Americans – more than two-thirds of current 65-year-olds, according to a detailed 2005 projection by a team of health policy analysts — at some point will need assistance to cope with daily living, either paid help or unpaid, at home or in a facility."

So, sixty seems kind of scary to me.

Which is exactly why I'm ready for a more "Conscious Aging" plan. We already have all the evidence we need to stay healthy. It's not about adding more years to our lives. It's all about adding more life to our years!

Just a sampling of the evidence.

The 52 country INTERHEART study was very clear. There are 9 easy-to-modify risk factors that are associated with 90% of heart disease. This was a huge study--30,000 people from every inhabited country--and the results were the same for all races, all sexes, all countries. All 9 of these risk factors are within our control--and would eliminate 90% of heart disease, regardless of one's genetics. 1. Keep lipids (cholesterol & triglycerides) down; 2. Stop smoking; 3. Prevent or control hypertension; 4. Prevent or control diabetes; 5. Reduce belly fat; 6. Find ways to control psychological and social stressors; 7. Increase fruit and vegetable consumption; 8. Moderate alcohol consumption is protective; 9. Get regular physical exercise Lancet 364:937-952, Sept. 11, 2004.

The Nurses' Health Study and Health Professionals Follow-up Study. "The largest and longest study to date, done as part of the Harvard-based Nurses' Health Study and Health Professionals Follow-up Study, included almost 110,000 men and women whose dietary habits were followed for 14 years. The higher the average daily intake of fruits and vegetables, the lower the chances of developing cardiovascular disease...[F]or every extra serving of fruits and vegetables that participants added to their diets, their risk of heart disease dropped by 4%." Harvard School of Public Health

The China Study. This is Dr. T. Colin Campbell's mammoth 2006 study on the effects of a plant-based diet on health--citing over 750 studies. The conclusion: People who ate the most-animal-based foods got the most chronic disease. People who ate the most plant-based foods were the healthiest and tended to avoid chronic disease. According to Campbell, "Good nutrition supported by exercise, clean water, and sunshine is greater than the sum of its parts. It's a biological symphony. My introduction to Dr. T. Colin Campbell

The Longevity Personality. From the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, April 2009 comes this conclusion: Those who live the longest are more outgoing, more active, more easy-going, more empathetic, and more agreeable than those who live a normal life span. The Blue Zones calls it, "likeability".

Here's My Strategy for Staying Out-of-Trouble After Sixty

Some of these are long-time habits, and they're easy for me to follow. Some of these I don't do as regularly as I should. Some of these are new goals. But this much I do know: If I don't have a plan, if I don't do these consciously, and if I don't carve out time to make them happen--they won't.

1. Stick with 7-9 servings of fruits and vegetables a day. The Green Smoothies make it easy. I get 6 servings in a 27 ounce Klean Kanteen that I divide over breakfast and an afternoon snack. I calculated the nutritional info on my daily 27 ounce serving that includes, 2 1/2 cups kale, 8 mini-carrots, 1/2 cup pomegranate juice, 1/2 apple, 1/2 orange, 1/2 kiwi, and 3/4 cup frozen black raspberries. Check out the nutrient content for 27 ounces:

Then throw in some veggie-based soup, a salad, a veggie-based dinner entree, some fruit for dessert, and I'm good to go.

This eating plan is the same as the DASH Diet (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension)--guaranteed to stop hypertension. The Cache County (Utah) Study on Memory shows it also prevents cognitive decline. Dr. Amy Lanou and Michael Castleman, authors of Building Bone Vitality claim it will build and strengthen bones--because the 17 nutrients necessary to build strong bones are all found in a diet high in fruits and vegetables. I'm still sold on eating 7-9+ fruits or veggies a day. Still drinking that old-stand-by Green Smoothie--but I keep experimenting--using less fruits, more vegetables.

2. A balanced exercise plan. It's not just about cardio--there are 4 areas that need attention: Cardio (spinning-my fave), Weight-training, Flexibility & Balance (yoga-my fave), and Core Strength. No, you can't just walk and think you're in good shape. I'm super regular with my cardio, and not as regular with the weight training and yoga. Click here to see what my workout looks like. As for core strength--that's pretty much non-existent. And when it comes to weight-training, according to Randy Raugh, the Canyon Ranch physical therapist, and author of the excellent Prime for Life--Functional Fitness for Ageless Living--to get the maximum benefits you need to do it for 3 non-consecutive days a week--2 at the minimum. Unfortunately, I often weight train only 1 day a week. If you want to build strong bones and prevent osteoporosis, and maintain your muscle strength as you age--weight-bearing exercise for the lower body, and weight-training for the upper body is a must-do! Yoga, helps with balance, preventing future falls, and building strength. As for core strength, I'm upping my game with Dr. Stuart McGill's routine, and my birthday-present to myself is the physical therapist-designed Pelvicore exercise ball. Upped my exercise efforts this year--it now includes 3 days of yoga (smart move) & 2 days of strength-training (that made a difference). Yoga also develops core strength with the plank pose & others. Haven't done much with my Pelvicore exercise ball--but I should.

3. A plant-based diet with minimal added fat. I'm nearing the 2 year mark on eating plant-based, so this is the easy part. I've got this down pat. I still use a little olive oil for cooking and in salads, and very occasionally eat some seafood or dairy when eating with friends. I'm convinced. If you want to lower your cholesterol, reduce your risk for type-2 diabetes, lower your blood pressure, reduce your risk of heart disease & stroke, and reduce your belly fat--this is the way to go. Dr. David J. Jenkins of St. Michael's Hospital in Toronto is one of the pre-eminent researchers on the benefits of a plant-based, low-glycemic diet (like beans, nuts, oats,& quinoa) for improving diabetes control, lowering cholesterol, and preventing cardiovascular disease. Click here for Jenkins research. And that's not all--keeping your blood sugar stable with low glycemic plant-based foods and exercise will preserve your brain. Click here. And as for too much fat--not only is it bad for your belly--it's bad for your brain--so just ditch it Click here.I Finally ditched the fat starting 6/21/10. Don't miss it a bit. The benefits are too numerous to mention!

4. No time urgency. This is what keeps the Okinawans calm, relaxed, and living longer. I'm really working on this one--which goes hand-in-hand with flexibility. Things don't always go as planned--you either go-with-the-flow or get stressed and anxious. My favorite 2 words, "Oh well." Life goes better when you stay in the moment, chill, and don't worry about getting there fast. When our Christmas Day trip to New York City was aborted because of an ice storm, we checked into a hotel at noon, and enjoyed a dinner of cranberry nut mix, Larabars, Cliff Bars, and clementines. All the restaurants were closed in this Pennsylvanian town. Oh well. We had a good time, and made it to New York safe and sound the next day. I've used this "slow down", "oh well", "why get yourself in a tizzy" self-talk approach throughout the year. It helps--I could be better--but I'm better than I was!

5. More Dancing, Singing, Laughing, Playing, Schmoozing, and Mahjing. What's the point of staying healthy without having fun? That's the reason we work at staying healthy. Cool fact: There's a little organ deep in the ear, called the sacculus--and it gives us a great sense of pleasure and well-being when it's stimulated. But, it can only be stimulated through singing! So, bring on the Singstar Karaoke! Click here.I say "Yes!" to fun things to do, trips, visits, outings, meeting new people, and dinners whenever I possibly can--without making myself crazy by overbooking or overcommitting. I'm almost always glad for it! Haven't signed up for dancing lessions yet--but it's on my to-do list--and definitely need more Maj-time!!! OK, gal pals, when's the next game? Frannie we miss you!

6. The Supplements. I'm really bad at regularly taking supplements. I'm good at counting them out, taking them to work, and bringing them back home with me. Truth is, there are some supplements worth taking because there's no easy way to get enough of them through diet alone. Here are my favorites: Omega-3s (I use Omega-Brite), DHA, (an omega-3 for brain health), Magnesium, Citracal, Vitamin D (I'm up to 3000 IUs), Curcumin (also known as turmeric, the yellow color in curry), and Juvenon (the combo of acetyl l-carnitine & alpha lipoic acid) developed by Dr. Bruce Ames. Click here to read more about what I take, and what some prominent physicians take. I'm not an everyday person with supplements, and try hard to get them from real food, but I still take Omega-Brite Omega-3s, a plant-based DHA, magnesium in am & pm, 1/2 the Citracal I used to take, curcumin occasionally, Juvenon occasionally, vitamin D (2000-4000 IUs), and a daily vitamin B-12 (1000 mcg), and I've added 1/2 a multivitamin twice a day based on Dr. Roizen's recommendation.

7. Eliminate the time-wasters from my day. Except for watching "The Middle" or "Glee", TV watching always leaves me bored and unsatisfied. So, why bother wasting the precious time? The same goes for my mindless internet cruising, checking in more than necessary with email, the NYT, and other favorite sites. Enough already! Except for writing this blog, doing research, or writing/reading emails I'm no longer cruising the internet. I just don't have that much extra time in the day--with a long commute & everything else. TV doesn't interest me much--unless it's at the end of the day & I'm too tired of reading.

8. Maximize my peak energy times of the day. Over a year ago I blogged about getting in sync with our natural energy ebb and flow throughout the day. It works--and I intend to start planning my day around them, when possible. For instance, 9-11 is the peak time for brain work-creativity-and analytical work. On days when I don't work I would usually use this time for exercise & errands. Poor use of brain time. Better to exercise between 3-6. To read more, click here: Maximize Your Energy-Match Your Tasks to Your daily Energy Levels.This really works & I try hard to follow it. I've changed my work schedule around so I can fit in exercise on workdays--and on days off, I do brain work before anything else--when I can.

9. Give a gift a day for 29 days a month. When 36 year old Cami Walker of LA learned she had multiple sclerosis, her spirits flagged. She was tired, in pain, and had the prospect of a debilitating disease ahead of her. When a holistic health educator gave her the prescription of giving 29 gifts a day for a month she thought it sounded it crazy. Nothing big (and that's the point)--something like making a supportive phone call or saving a piece of yummy cake for her husband. Of course the prescription didn't cure her, but it had a startling effect of helping her cope with her illness and gave her a more positive outlook on life. I love this idea. It's a planned regular way to just think about kindness. No big acts, just something little-done everyday. To read more, click here.Sorry, to say, this hasn't become a regular habit--but I do look for opportunities to do that "little something more" or favors throughout the day. I know it makes me feel much better--need to make a more conscious effort with this one.

10. Cultivate my garden of friends and family. Regular phone calls, visits, dinners, outings, and celebrations. At 60 there's no time to delay any of these. It's the glue that keeps us together and makes life worth living. I really try hard to keep this one at the top of my list! Can't help but think of the extra time I'd have to accomplish this if I ditched writing this blog, though, but read #11!

11. Once You're Through Learning--You're Through. This is the philosophy of John Wooden, the 97-year-old retired (he died in June 2010 at 98) UCLA basketball coach. No doubt about it, learning and sharing what I learn is my purpose in life. I'm lucky to have a job that gives me access to learning about health and medicine, and a hobby that gives me a chance to share what I learn. Not a day goes by that I don't work on this one--but it doesn't feel like work to me! Well, at least most of the time it doesn't feel like work.

12. Start Eating Less. OK, I'm ready to shed a few pounds, and I know from past experience that writing down exactly what I eat, and how much I've exercised, really works. I use something called MyFoodDiary.com and it's set up with all my favorite recipes. Unfortunately, I haven't used it in quite some time. The new year is a great time to start! To read more about this tool, click here.Well, this strategy sure played out big-time in 2010! I'm eating far fewer caleries, shed 13 pounds, but I eat whenever I want. You all know this story--I won't repeat it! And yes, I do use MyFoodDiary for my recipes & to keep a check on how balanced my diet is--but not daily or weekly.

Time to end this list. I've more than maximized my 9-11 brain time and written this post. It's now time to make my smoothie, do some core exercises, take those supplements, answer birthday phone calls, enjoy a birthday lunch, followed by an evening out with friends who all share the same wedding anniversary--if we can just make it through our foot of snow!

I'd love to hear from anyone who is 60 or over with advice, tips, and wisdom about maximizing life in the sixties, seventies, and more.

If you received this post via email, click here to get to the web version with all the links.

For almost a year now I've been singing the praises of Lee Fulkerson's well-done & eye-opening documentary, Forks Over Knives. It tells the story of how our Western diet is responsible for the sky-rocketing rates of obesity, heart disease, hypertension, and type-2 diabetes in the U.S. It pulls no punches in explaining how our chronic diseases are really "food-borne" illnesses that need never exist--and if they do exist--how they can be reversed.

It's also the story of two pioneering crusaders, Dr. T. Colin Campbell and Dr. Caldwell Esselstyn, Jr.--both raised on farms in the 1930's--who steadfastly put the food/disease research puzzle pieces together--and are on a mission to change the way we eat.

Esselstyn is the emeritus Cleveland Clinic surgeon/clinician who supervised the longest-running heart disease reversal study in the world--and Campbell is the eminent emeritus Cornell University nutrition researcher who conducted the lab & epidemiological cancer research that discovered the correlation between cancer cell growth and animal protein consumption--namely, meat & dairy.

Thanks to the Esselstyns, I saw a preview of Forks Over Knives last spring--and was wowed. My good friend Babs, watched it with us last year, and was equally wowed--while our husbands took a pass & watched some boring forgetable sport playoffs instead.

A documentary that's intelligent, understandable, lays out all the facts, yet is entertaining at the same time, is quite a feat! FOK does it all. And it has all the elements of a great flick: food, sex, power, money, politics, and triumphs!

I've already written a lot about the film--click here to read about it, so I'm not going to rehash it. Right now I just want to share the spirit of the evening--and the Q & A of the post-film panel--something you won't find anywhere else. The panel included:

Dr. Caldwell Esselstyn, Jr.

Rip Esselstyn

San'Dera Nation, the young woman in the movie who reversed her type-2 diabetes.

Evelyn Oswick, one of Dr. Esselstyn's original 18 heart disease patients. In 1985, her cardiologist told her he was out of treatment options for her, because her heart disease was so severe. Evelyn's been true-blue plant-based oil-free now for 25 years--alive & thriving.

Like a Cross Between a Rock Concert & the Academy Awards "Red Carpet" for Plant-Based Health Fans

This was the hardest ticket to get in town. The screening "sold-out" quickly--and by the time I tried to get a ticket, there were none to be had. Of my friends, only Mary, the librarian--with whom I work & who's now a plant-based fan--was able to score a ticket. Here's Something about Mary--she's a librarian anda nurse, and she thought I was a tad wacky with my plant-based no-oil diet. That is, until she took home our library's copy of Dr. Esselstyn's Prevent and Reverse Heart Disease to read. Her pantry's had a complete make-over. She's also a dynamite creative cook--so check back for some her no-oil plant-based culinary inventions.

A week before the film, Ann Esselstyn generously found a ticket for me, when one of their guests couldn't make it.

The theater lobby was packed, as we all waited for a half-hour to get into the theater. Looked like everyone had arrived early. I was hoping to run into some blog readers with whom I've corresponded--and who were lucky enough to get tickets. No way--not with a crowd of this size--in these tight quarters.

But then I did. How crazy is that? My Red Carpet Crew:

The pediatric cardiologist: Out of the blue, I heard my name called, & it was Dr. A--the pediatric cardiologist who has been enthusiastically eating plant-strong for 18 months, and somehow stumbled upon my blog. Any plant-strong diet doubters out there, consider this--if a pediatric cardiologist has decided to switch his diet, and that of his family--that's a pretty strong statement & tells you something!

Wendy, the creator of the Healthy Girl's Kitchen blog. She's a dynamo, who's been eating plant-strong for 18 months, and as a former Weight Watcher, she's on a mission to share her discovery: if you eat plant-based--the foods highest on the nutrient scale (think ANDI Rankings--click here to read more) you can eat as much as you want, feel fabulous, get healthy, feel full, lose weight effortlessly, and look great, to boot! I LOVE Wendy's blog--her enthusiasm is catchy--and she has delicious kid-friendly recipes, like all-fruit soft-serves, and even a killer dessert hummus--plus she's just plain fun to read! Check out her blog now!

Dr. Caldwell and Ann Esselstyn--I even got to make my way through the crowd to say hello to them before the film started. I spotted their daughter Jane Esselstyn Hart, a nurse practitioner, from a distance. Jane is a dynamo, who is passionate about plant-based eating for disease reversal. She teaches healthy eating workshops for diabetes & erectile dysfunction. Click here

Rip Esselstyn--ran right into him, while I made my way to my seat. If you don't know who Rip is? Click here to find out.

Dr. Mladen Golubic & his wife. As I left the theater, I ran into Dr. Golubic, who is a brilliant physician/researcher with the Cleveland Clinic's Center for Integrative Medicine at the Clinic's Wellness Institute. Eight years ago, when Dr. Golubic was doing cancer research he presented a lecture at the hospital where I work, all about the health benefits of a plant-based diet. I remember specifically asking him about olive oil, "Isn't no-oil old-school? Dr. Walter Willett says olive oil is good for us. What's wrong with using it--especially, if you're already healthy?" He patiently explained the problems with oil to me back in 2003, but I chose to not listen--didn't want to give it up. It was Mladen who also told me about Dr. Joel Fuhrman's book, back in 2003, "Eat to Live". To read an interesting recent NPR story about Dr. Golubic, click here.

Jim Perko, the executive chef for the Cleveland Clinic Wellness Center--and many of the staff at the Wellness Center were also at the screening, according to Dr. Golubic. Mladen told me Dr. Michael Roizen wanted to be there, but had to be out-of-town on the night of the screening.

That's it for my ala Joan Rivers "Red Carpet" spiel.

Nothing Beats Watching Forks Over Knives in a Group

Best part about watching this film in the theater was listening to the audience's reaction. I had seen the film twice before, once with my friend Babs, and once by myself. I loved hearing how everyone was grabbed by the same scenes as I was:

When Dr. Esselstyn says:

"Some people think the "diet" is extreme. Half a million people a year will have their chests opened up and a vein taken from their leg and sewn onto their coronary artery. Some people would call that extreme."

"The elephant in the room when we talk about stents and bypass surgery--those procedures don't protect from new heart attacks. Stents & bypasses are used to treat large arterial blockages. Yet according to many research studies only a small percentage of heart attacks are caused by the largest build-up of plaque. The rest are caused by the more numerous newer blockages that are far more inflamed and much more likely to rupture than the larger older, more stable plaques. So this is why those procedures don't treat the disease. They are treating the symptoms."

When San'Dera Nation, a thirty-something who was overweight, hypertensive & diabetic before switching to a plant-based diet, says:

"When I approached my primary care physician about stopping my meds, the doctor asked me, 'What is that doctor trying to do? Take you off your medication?' I said, 'Yeah. I'm hoping that's the goal.'"

When Dr. T. Colin Campbell explains his "light-bulb" moment when he realized that animal protein promotes cancer cell growth. He had replicated both an Italian & Indian study in his own lab--but with a twist.

Campbell knew from previous research that when animals were fed casein, a milk protein, at levels above 20% of the calories in their diet--cancer cells were turned on--and when they were fed animal protein at levels below 5% of their total calories, the cancer cells were turned off.

Campbell constructed a study that fed the same animals, first a diet of 20% milk protein, and then switched it to 5%--and kept it up--switching them back & forth. His light-bulb moment: "You could literally turn liver cancer cells on and off--like a switch--just by manipulating the level of animal protein in their diets. But plant protein, even in excess of 20% of calories, did not turn on cancer cells nor affect their growth." For a bibliography of Campbell's research, click here.

When Anthony Yen, one of Dr. Esselstyn's original 18 patients explains one of the best--and little-known benefits of going on a plant-based diet. You'll have to see the movie to learn this one. Definitely, a crowd-pleaser!

The 3 reasons we get into problems with food are because we're biologically programmed to:

Seek pleasure--from food & sex

Avoid pain

Do everything with the least amount of effort

So, bingo! We're perfectly programmed to eat fatty, sugary, salty foods because we're pleasure-seekers--and we want delicious-tasting (who cares about how healthy it is?) food the fastest way possible--because we're lazy. Hello, McDonald's & KFC! And these highly processed foods are all addictive. To learn more about this, click here.

The Best of the Q & A from the Post-FOK Panel

How long does it take before you can see the beneficial effects of eating a plant-based diet?

Dr. Esselstyn: After 3 weeks on a plant-based diet the endothelial cells in the linings of our blood vessels can recover. This can be seen on a very sensitive test after 3-4 weeks. But the changes actually begin immediately.

San'Dera, at the time the movie was made you were eating plant-based for 20 weeks and had lost 45 pounds. Can you give us an update?

It will be 2 years this May that I've been eating plant-based. My diabetes is gone. I've been off diabetes medication for 1 1/2 years, now. My whole home is now plant-based--although in the beginning, I cooked separately for my children. But, then I realized, how can I let my kids eat junk, while I'm eating healthy food. I didn't want outlive my children! So, now they eat like I eat. Look, I'm the parent--I'm the one who shops & cooks. My teen-age son is now a plant-based fan--the girls love his skin & his acne's all gone.

Evelyn, tell us some more about how you got started in the study.

I'm one of Dr. Esselstyn's original patients & I've been eating plant-based now for 25 years. Back in 1985 my doctor told me to just go home and prepare to die--but then, as an aside he told me about the study Dr. Esselstyn was conducting at the Cleveland Clinic. When he told me about his crazy diet, I said, "I'd rather die than eat that way." But then I started to think--do I really want to die & leave all I've worked so hard for--a wonderful family--a beautiful home--to my husband? And I knew he would remarry. So, after a week of thinking about it, I called Dr. Esselstyn and said I wanted to participate in his study. He told me that I was the last person he ever thought would call him back. Essie, was fantastic, but you had to do things exactly as he prescribed, or he'd show you the door. There were no half-way measures with Essie. We met with him every 2 weeks--he looked at everything we ate--and checked our lipid levels. He know whether or not we were following the program.

If this research on diet & heart disease is so compelling, why isn't this the first thing doctors tell us about? Why doesn't everyone know about this?

Dr. Esselstyn: Doctors have been cautious, and that was appropriate, until this heart disease prevention/reversal diet evolved and the proof was established. Now, 25 years later we know it works. Given the lack of time & the reimbursement issues that physicians have these days, it will likely become increasingly difficult for doctors to offer this option, because it involves behavior modification & needs hands-on support. But, they shouldn't feel that they have to be the ones to supervise the behavior modification & provide the diet support necessary for this program. There are others who can be trained, and are better able to provide the support necessary to help patients make these major lifestyle changes.

But, what about people with on low & fixed incomes? People who couldn't possibly afford to pay for the kind of food you need on a plant-based diet?

Rip: Rice and beans are cheap. Eating plant-based is absoluely affordable. I've worked out a $305/month food budget for two--eating plant-based & even shopping at Whole Foods. That's $5/day per person. That's affordable. It involves buying in bulk, using some frozen fruits & vegetables--and I'm not talking about organics--conventional produce is just fine, if that's what you can afford.

San'Dera: Eating plant-based is cheaper than even buying bulk chicken & pork chops. You can easily spend more than $15 a day at McDonald's, Burger King, & Wendy's. I don't spend anything like that on plant-based at home.

Do you think it's possible that some people are meant to eat meat?

Dr. Esselstyn: emphatically, "NO!"

What about the supposed health foods, like non-fat yogurt, olive oil, and chocolate?

Rip:

Yogurt comes from a cow, and it's protein comes from casein, and at a level even greater than what's found in milk. Read more here and here and here about dairy and yogurt

Olive oil is the most concentrated source of fat on the planet, at 120 calores per tablespoon. 20% of its fat is saturated, and as for its purported antioxidants, you can do much better with fruits & vegetables that are zero fat, and have far fewer calories. Like berries & leafy greens. The olive oil as "health food" story, is a great example of marketing over science! If you think it's such a nutrient powerhouse, click hereto see exactly what its nutrient content is. To learn more about olive oil's "issues" click here.

Chocolate should be reserved as something you eat occasionally, for entertainment--and not something you eat daily! Unsweetened unprocessed cocoa can be a daily food.

San'Dera, what do you eat daily? How soon was it until you started to notice any changes?

I eat brown rice, pasta made from brown rice or whole wheat, lots of fruits, vegetables, beans, salads, and fat-free hummus. I noticed a change in how I felt within 3 days of changing my diet. Especially, the energy. I stopped taking my diabetes medications after 3 weeks on the diet.

OK, what about people who are healthy, without diabetes, who aren't overweight? Could they be on more of a flexitarian diet?

Dr. Esselstyn: Certainly, a plant-based no-oil diet is a no-brainer for someone who is ill. But look down the line--when exactly do people start to develop dementia or heart disease? It's years before the event actually occurs. Consider how the people in your family have died, or how they spent their final years. We know that eating this way will prevent heart disease. And we know from ample research that what's good for the heart is good for the brain. There's nothing more troubling to see than someone who lives with dementia for 10-12 years. My bias is to start eating plant-based now! Recent research from the Mayo Clinic has also shown the importance of diet on the health of the brain's blood vessels--and how the brain's health is dependent upon nitric oxide. Click here to read more.

Mark Your Calendars for the National Release of Forks Over Knives on March 11, 2011

To read more about the program Dr. Esselstyn runs at the Cleveland Clinic, click here.

"The greatest gift that you could possibly give to your family--you can make them aware of this incredible power to avoid life's most painful events. You just don't have to have those kinds of events."

-Dr. Caldwell B. Esselstyn-

Please be patient with me (brother-in-law Dave & others). I've got lots of non-Esselstyn medical research to share--but I really wanted to post about this special FOK screening event first.

And, boy do I have some killer recipes to share, too! Last night's dinner was some of our best eating, ever!